Blackbullet
by Syphira
Summary: Daedalus Tavi is a 14-year-old female who apparently has a Split Personality. There's something more to all that, and it involves Death, a Necklace, and many other things. -Very First Persona Fanfiction; DROPPED as of 2011/7/28
1. Explanation

**~Blackbullet~**

_Summary of Prolouge:_

_Daedalus Tavi, a 14-year-old girl, was taken over by her darker half, and transported to a city without her knowing about it. She then, enters the Dark Hour, which she encounters the Shadows on her first visit. Slightly injured, Minato Arisato and his team find the girl, but before asking any questions, she's fainted._

_Now, Daedalus is in the hospital. Will she make it out..?_

_

* * *

_

_And so begins the story!_

Chapter 1 - Explanation

The hospital was a quiet place. The bright, blinding sun was shining through the windows as if it were hoping to hurt someone's eyesight. There, in the room, was a girl who had been toyed with.

That's what got everyone: her innocence.

She was unconcious, hoping that no one would notice what had happened with her. However, somehow, -even while she was asleep-, she knew that her secret she's kept to herself for so long would be found out one day..

* * *

_"I wish I was stronger.." said the eleven-year-old girl that was kicking a rock around with her tennis shoes. "I wouldn't have to have people bully me!"_

_'..Thou Art I... and I art thou,'_

_"H-Huh?" Daedalus spoke aloud to herself. "Who's saying that? Why do I hear a voice?!"_

_'Thou shall have the blessing when choosing to wield a Persona...'_

_"Per..so...na?" She whispered to herself, unknown of what was going to become of her._

_

* * *

_

Yes, she knew nothing at the time. It was only until last year she knew about her darker half. She had no choice but to accept it, and try to tame it and have an actual friend.

That was her one wish: Friends.

Within a few minutes, she began to stir awake from her sleep. Her eyes softened very quickly, but a smile wasn't on her face. She held her head for a minute, not remembering anything for a second.

She turned to her left: A window.

Though, it didn't bother her much. She was worried that she'd be in a dream, a nice, comfy one.

_"Hey!" _A cheery female voice called out from the other side of the room. She quickly focused her attention to the female she saw before. "Glad to see you up, how've you been?"

"..." Daedalus stayed silent. She looked down with her hair covering her face. "I... I'm in your debt from saving me."

"Oh, it's okay, really!" The female smiled at her. "I'm Yukari Takeba, what's your name?"

_"Yukari, is she awake?" _A male walked into the room, but Daedalus' eyes when she looked at him.

_'You can see them?'_

She knew who this man was. Not just because of saving her, but--

"H-Hiko-kun!" She shouted out with widened eyes, "Hiko-kun, is that _really _you?!"

"Hey, wait a minute!" His face was stunned, "How do you know my name?! I-I mean my nickname!?"

"So it is you..." She chuckled a bit.

"Why are you calling him 'Hiko-kun,' he's our senpai!" Yukari sounded annoyed, "Don't you know that?"

"I know my honorifics." She put her head down again, "I've knowing Akihiko for a few years, that's all."

"Huh? You know me?" He questioned. "How?"

"Do you remember that girl you used to call Dae-Dae?" She chuckled, "The girl that would try to tackle you?"

"...Daedalus?" He finally got her name. "Wow, how long has it been?"

"Too long, I say." She grinned when looking up at him. "Though, I wanna know what's wrong with me! I saw those-"

"Don't say it _here!_" Yukari shut her up before she finished the sentence. "Anyways... How're you feeling?"

"Somewhat better." She answered, soon turning to get off the bed. As she lifted herself up, she began to stumble; This reaction caused Akihiko to run to her side and catch her. "S-Sorry..."

"You're weak right now, you need support!" He shouted, placing one of her arms over his shoulder. "Come on, let's get you to the dorm."

"O-Okay.." She nodded, soon being carried along side Akihiko. However, something was bothering her. Many questions were flowing through her head.

What was with the blood on her hand? How did she appear in the city? What where the hideous black things and the coffins? Many questions flowed into her mind, especially her friend's quote.

_'So you're the one...'_

_

* * *

_

_ "Welcome back." _A female told the three as they came in. She had ruby red eyes that matched her ruby red hair, and pale skin that showed she was from Japan. Her lipstick was a tinted pink, and she was wearing a white stripped shirt with a large ribbon wrapped by the collar. To add to the long black skirt she was wearing, she was also wearing zip-up black high heel boots that hit her knee. "I see you've brought her here."

"Hello." Daedalus bowed with a little strength, knowing to not push her limit. "Sorry to bother you so much... Er..."

"Kirijo. Mitsuru Kirijo." She answered back, "Welcome to the dorm, and don't worry, you're not bothering us. Actually... We need your help."

"Why mine?" Daedalus asked, "I'm useless, anyways..."  
"Don't say that.." Yukari told her, "Why do you think that?"

"..Sorry, I don't like talking about it. Then again, I shouldn't have brought it up." Daedalus looked away, "Why do you need me?"

"Well... Basically, you have the 'potential.'" Mitsuru blurted out. "Have you ever heard of a single day having more than twenty-four hours?"

"H-Huh?!" Daedalus stuttered, "More than... twenty-four hours? How is that even possible?"

"I'm sure you have experienced this. The blood around the city, time feels like it's stopped, coffins in the city?"

"Y-Yes..." Daedalus trembled a bit, "I was scared... I felt like I was just going to die then and there.."

"Have you realized? You're experiencing a 'Different Time.'" Mitsuru explained. "Something that we must keep secret."

_"...The Dark Hour."_

_

* * *

**Short, I know Q_Q;;;. I'm still getting used to controls, and the fact that the first part is just a mehish part. So... Rate and review if you're into stories like this. Even if you aren't, I'm probably gonna continue it anyways since I'm kinda bored at the moment.**  
_


	2. More Friends, More Suprises

**Blackbullet**

**Chapter 2 - More Friends, More Suprises.**

"T-The Dark Hour?" Daedalus began to speak.

"It's not hidden so hard where people _don't _know about it, but it comes every night at midnight." Mitsuru continued.

"And it'll keep happening every night.." Yukari added.

"However, people don't notice it because they're asleep in the coffins. The looks aren't everything." Akihiko smirked while also adding his opinion. "Those black things? We call them Shadows, and they only appear then to attack on the living. Sounds fun, right?"

"You still have that awkward sense of humor when it comes to being serious..." Daedalus sighed, turning her head. "So, about them-"

_"We're back!" _A sing-song tone called out as the door slammed open, but the cheery tone went down when two boys walked in. "Huh? Who's this?"

"Hey, you're-!" Daedalus remembered as the second boy came in. However, she wanted to take a look at the first boy's appearence.

A pale-skinned boy with a baseball cap and eyes that looked gray. Another jacket that she saw before when she was helped up during the incident before. However, he had a buckled belt with a chain connected on his pants, along with black shoes to match. To finish off, his buzzcut hair and goatee made Daedalus turn her head away so she wouldn't be noticed.

"You're awake now?" The blue-haired boy spoke in front of Junpei. Daedalus just nodded, "That's good. Junpei, I'd like you to meet...Uh..."

"I'm Daedalus Tavi, but you can just call me D-"

"Looks like I'll be calling you Dae-Dae!" Junpei grinned cheesily while wrapping his shoulder around her neck like an old time buddy.

"You're...choking...me..." She said between gasps, soon pushing him off. "Get off!"

"Quite..." Mitsuru sighed, "Anyways, we're the Special Extracurricular Execute Sector, also known as SEES. While we're a school club, we're also chosen to fight the Shadows."

"You've heard about the Apathy Syndrome, right?" Akihiko turned to face her, "The ones that become living corpses?"

"Yes..." Daedalus sighed, "Basically, the Dark Hour is as if time stops, right? Only a few people can get through it?"

"Yes." Mitsuru said, "Only a few people awaken to it, and we call the power they have 'Persona.'"

"Shadows can only be destroyed by the Persona-users." Yukari told them, "So they're useless against many weapons."

"...Are you saying I should join you..?" Daedalus looked at her in confusion now. With that, Mitsuru walked up to Daedalus and placed a gun into her hand along with a red ribbon that said 'S.E.E.S' on it. "What the-"

"That's an Evoker." Junpei began, "You can summon your Persona like that."

_'Wait a minute...' _Daedalus began to think, _'If I can go through the Dark Hour, does that mean my darker half is my Persona? It's all very strange to me right now.'_

"Hey, uh... You okay?" The other boy looked at her. "The names Minato, if you're wondering."

"...Huh?!" Daedalus shook her head from the random space out. "Sorry, I was just thinking..."

"Please lend us your strength." Mitsuru smiled.

"..." Daedalus turned her head, _'Only Hiko-kun knows about the darker half. What should I do?'_

"Mitsuru-senpai, that's like putting her on the spot!" Yukari shouted, "Shouldn't you wait a few?"

"I-It's alright.." Daedalus smiled a bit. Not a smile that would say she's excited, but at least a grateful one. "I don't really have anywhere to go, so I'll just go with you for now."

"Wow, um.. Thanks." Yukari smiled, "Ask if you have any questions."

"The Chairman will be dropping by tomorrow." Mitsuru told him, "So, you'll know who's really in charge of S.E.E.S."

"However, if it's okay with you, we can start training right away." Akihiko told her, "That place is digusting."

"You mean Tartarus." Minato said.

"Tartarus..?" Daedalus scratched her cheek in confusion.

"It's where most of the Shadows come from." Mitsuru told her, "Well, most of them. We believe that it's the key to getting rid of the Dark Hour. However, I'm leaving that here for tonight."

"It's a shock to find out that _you're _a Persona-user, Hiko-kun." Daedalus stared at him, but then smiled. "However, I hope we can make a great team."

"Yeah.." He smiled back.

Daedalus yawned after a bit, "So sleepy... By the way... How long was I out?"

"A month." They all told her.

"Oh _crap!_" She shouted out, "Darn it, and I wanted to start the first day, too..."

"We'll get you settled in a few days." Mitsuru smiled, "For now, get some rest Daedalus."

"R-Right..."

"I'll show you to your room!" Yukari smiled, taking her hand in hers. "Come on, let's go!"

"Oh, and Tavi?" Mitsuru had her turn around quickly. "There is one other member besides the Chairman you should meet. However, she's asleep, so you won't see her til' tomorrow."

"I see.." She sighed, "No problem. Good Night...."

* * *

"Well, here it is." Yukari tried to put some happiness into her tone. "It's kinda bare, but I'm sure you can customize it. Do you have anything you need to get?"

She just shook her head no.

"Well, okay." Yukari smiled, "Say, you need something to sleep in, right? If you'd like, you can borrow some of my clothes for tonight. Do you wanna shower also?"

"I-I'm sorry..." Daedalus sighed, "I'm being a burden, aren't I?"

"What?!" Yukari was shocked, "No, you're not! Don't worry, just get a good sleep tonight."

"Yukari-san..." She tried to smile, but then she sighed.

"What's wrong? Did something happen?!" Yukari was worried on Daedalus' behalf. This was a girl that was found on the streets _bloodstained! _

"I know this is kind of stupid, but did you find a picture of Hiko-kun when he was younger around the streets or so? I think I dropped it.."

"Oh!" She dug into her coat sleeve for a second. "This?"

She held it up to Daedalus, who's eyes brightened as soon as possible. The picture was ripped from the right, but in it had a picture of Akihiko's younger self, and her smiling.

"It got ripped somehow, but I thought it was cute!" She gave it to Daedalus without any further delays. "Also, we're going to Yakushima in about two days, and since tomorrow is a sunday, how about we go shopping for your clothes?"

"Really?!" Daedalus had alot of excitement in her reaction. She had a large smile on her face, but at the same time it was grateful. Without a problem, Daedalus ran up to Yukari and hugged her, then followed her as she went to Yukari's room clutching the photo into her hand.

* * *

_ "...!?" _Daedalus stopped in her tracks as they were walking. She held her head in confusion, and she seemed to space out for a minute.

_'A new Social Link has been opened...' _A mysterious voice told her. _'Thou shalt strengthen the Persona you have obtained...'_

"..." Daedalus looked around for a bit. _'Who was that..?'_

"Hey, are you okay?" Yukari looked at her. "You look like something spooked you!"

"I'm sorry, it was just... a random space out." Daedalus smiled nervously. "I'm still following you."

"Well, we're here." Yukari laughed a bit when she pointed to the bathroom right by her left side. "I'll go and bring some clothes in, but you can go ahead and start showering."

"I'm really grateful, Yukari-san." Daedalus just bowed. "Thank you!"

* * *

**_Short Chapter, I know D:, but I'll try to make it longer _;_**


	3. Shopping Time!

**Chapter 3 - Shopping Time.**

The sun began to shine out of her window with a bright light. Last night had been a hell for her because of joining SEES and all, but she was kind of happy. She was reunited with Akihiko, and got on some good terms with Yukari and the others. However, she lay on her bed thinking; also wondering on who the mysterious Persona-user was. The Dark Hour was still so confusing to her, but she realized she may find out more about it later. With many thoughts on her mind, she just took the picture of her childhood self and Akihiko and decided to examine it in further detail.

Unlike now, he had hair that greatly resembled Minato's, but it didn't cover his eyes or anything. His eyes were softer, and it didn't have such a determined vibe when you looked into them. A widened smile went around his face, and he was shoulder hugging Daedalus. She giggled a bit when she saw it.

Then she turned her face to her smaller self. It wasn't that different from herself now... except the fact that she had longer hair and a larger smile. Her hair was made into two ponytails with blue bows at each end. She had her usual white dress on, but held a stuffed doll in her arms. A little patched up teddy bear was clutched into her hands, not to mention it looked handmade. Behind them were trees in a park, and--

She sighed. "I wish I still had _his _picture. We were such good friends... Then lost connection after the incident..."

She placed the photo back onto the desk, and began to get off the bed.

"Today, Yukari-san is taking me to go buy clothes." She looked at the nightclothes Takeba had given her. "Though, I still have so many questions... How'd I appear in this part of Japan? What is Tartarus? Can I trust them? And being in a coma for a month..."

_"Hey, are you awake?" _A voice called out. "It's Aki."

"Be there in a sec." She began to walk to the door, brushing her hair with the brush that Yukari lent her. Slowly opening the door, she waved. "Yo."

"Hey, Dae-Dae." He smiled, "I heard Yukari was taking you shopping this morning."

"Heh, yeah." She continued to brush over a baby hair that kept sticking up. "Yukari is offering me so much... yet, I feel like I'm a burden."

"Don't feel that way." He patted her back, "You have to get to know them, first. Now, come on, Yukari is waiting for you downstairs."

...

"Oh? Who is this, Yukari-chan?" A girl was standing on Yukari's side looking at Daedalus in curiousity. She had short teal-colored hair, brown eyes, and wore a simple frilly blue dress with white socks on her feet.

"Oh, Fuuka, this is Daedalus. She just joined SEES last night after getting back from the hospital." Yukari explained.

"Oh, she was the one that was in that large coma right?" Fuuka asked, then turned her head torwards Dae. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm alright, thanks." Daedalus smiled, slightly embarassed by the fact that she was still in pajamas, but didn't mind because only the girls were up.

"I am going to go shopping with Daedalus today because she lost everything before coming here." Yukari explained to Fuuka. "Do you wanna come?"

"Only if it's okay with Daedalus." Fuuka smiled brightly.

"The more, the merrier." Daedalus bowed, "Fuuka-san, it's nice to meet you. However, I'm going to go change real quick. The dress is washed, right Yukari-san?"

"Of course." Yukari nodded, "Dae, you'll need some shoes, too. It's best if you wear my sandals."

"You don't have to..." Daedalus smiled a bit. "I'm used to walking without them."

"Yeah, but you don't want to be cutting your feet." Yukari scolded her like a mother scolding a child. "There's gonna be alot of things on the floor."

"Fine, fine." Daedalus pouted jokingly, then turned to Fuuka. "I'll be down in a second.

"Don't worry about it!" Fuuka smiled, "I'm patient."

...

Daedalus ran back upstairs as fast as her legs could take her, then picked up her white dress from Yukari's room (since she washed it and all) and picked up one of the pairs of sandals that Yukari left in her room. After all that mess, she walked to her room, only to find Mitsuru looking around.

"M-Mitsuru-senpai!" Daedalus said in suprise. "I wasn't expecting you to be in here."

"I apologize for intruding without notice." Mitsuru honestly told her. "I was just wondering if you were okay with this room. I'm sorry I couldn't support it-"

"Mitsuru-senpai, don't apologize so much." Daedalus chuckled, "I've barely moved in here. I don't have much, so don't worry about it. All my stuff disappeared when I appeared during the Dark Hour. It's not your fault."

"Well, I guess it can't be helped.." Mitsuru smirked and chuckled. "However, the Chairman will be coming tonight, so please don't take too long while shopping."

"I'll come back as soon as possible." She bowed.

"Also, um..." Mitsuru sighed, "Tavi, you will need to answer some questions that he gives you... It may regard your life, can you handle that?"

"My life isn't much to be ashamed of, however..." She sighed, "Mitsuru, I can't use the evoker."

"Huh? Why is that?" Mitsuru blinked.

"...I'll explain more once we come back this evening." She bowed once again, "_I _apologize for the inconvenience."

"It's alright." Mitsuru began to exit the room. "See you later."

"R-Right..." Daedalus smiled nervously.

...

Daedalus, Yukari, and Fuuka finally arrived at the Mall, and Daedalus' eyes widened. She had never seen a mall as large as the one she just entered. She looked left and right and saw many rooms. She was smiling widely when she found out she could shop in there.

"Are you serious!? We get to go _here?!_" Daedalus twirled around smiling, as if she never saw the rest of the world. "This is awesome!"

"You like dresses, right?" Fuuka asked him curiously.

"Huh?" Daedalus blushed a bit, "Y-Yeah..."

"Then, let's go to the store over there!" Fuuka pointed to the right, "We'll find tons of clothes there. Plus, we could probably get you some skirts while we're at it."

"Really guys, isn't this a little too much?"

"Quit worrying!" Yukari shouted jokingly. "We said we'd get you something, right?"

Daedalus just nodded as they walked into the store. She was kind of nervous on what the girls would think of her, since she had never really shopped at a mall before. The only time she would've went shopping was with Akihiko, but that was really for groceries only. As they walked in, she saw the store clerk cleaning up some of the shelves that were booked with boxes. When the clerk heard the door open, she turned to them.

"Oh, hello." She smiled, "Welcome to Lolita Gothix. I'm sorry there isn't much out today, I just opened today."

"No problem." Daedalus nodded, quickly walking in with the other two. "What's for sale right now?"

"..." The girl just stared at Daedalus with a rather...curious face. She wore black headphones with a pink skull on each side. Her hair had pink streaks that looked like she had painted over the original dirty blonde hair. She wore a black jacket with a clip on tie and a white shirt as innerwear. She had a pink stripped skirt with black diamonds and silk. One of her socks were down a bit, while her other one was fully up and clipped together with a pink belt. Last, but not least she had dark blue eyes and pink high heels.

"Um, excuse me..." Fuuka waved her hand at the shopkeeper, "Are you alright?"

"Huh!?" The girl asked, "Oh, sorry. It's just... your friend looks familiar. However, dresses and skirts are on sale right now, so go ahead and take a look."

"Uh, okay... Thanks." Yukari nodded, pulling Daedalus and Fuuka both to a hidden part of the store. She huddled them together for a group conversation.

Did anyone _else _notice that she was staring directly at Dae?" Yukari shuddered, "That was creepy."

"I don't know..." Daedalus thought, "She said I looked familiar. She probably means her sister or something?"

"Daedalus, have you ever had a sister?" Fuuka asked her curiously.

"I am an only child." She explained. "Well, was, until my parents died."

Daedalus gritted her teeth when she said parents, so Fuuka decided not to ask anymore.

"Come on, girls." Yukari butted in, "Let's just find some clothes for Dae to wear!"

* * *

**So, Daedalus talks a bit with Akihiko and Mitsuru, and also meets Fuuka! Together, Yukari, Fuuka, and Dae all go to the mall to buy clothes for the new member!**

**I should also say that PERSONA DOES NOT BELONG TO ME, only Daedalus and the shopkeeper girl belong to me. Q_Q;;**

**Yes, I attempted to make the chapter longer.  
**


	4. Daedalus

**Chapter 4 - Daedalus**

_Persona 3 does not belong to me, however my OCs, do, so "NYEH"  
_

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_

Daedalus and the girls were having fun shopping. Daedalus still regretted the fact that Yukari spent money on her, but Yukari didn't seem to mind her. Fuuka offered to go buy lunch for the three before they had to head back to the Dorm. Daedalus attempted to reject on all of their parts, but Fuuka continued to offer until Daedalus gave in. Daedalus hated to be pitied, maybe even given more sympathy than she can handle, but she decided to shrug it off while she still could, at least for her friends.

Fuuka took them out to Wild-Duck Burger at Iwatodai Station, where the three began to talk about their daily school lives and explaining to Daedalus on what they liked to do for fun. Daedalus was quiet as ever, either sipping her coffee bit by bit, or just nodding at their comments. When they finished talking about their Social Life, Yukari finally asked Daedalus a question.

"What do you like to do for fun?"

"Me?" Daedalus stopped sipping a drink of her coffee for a second. "I never really did anything fun, except for wrestling alot with Hiko-kun. It was always fun to have him tackle me down on the grass. I never really did much for fun... I was always forced to focus more on schoolwork than hanging out with him, and that made me burn out and bomb tests. I've barely made it due to staying at Akihiko's for quite sometime."

"Wow..." Fuuka's eyes widened. "That's crazy! Your parents forced you onto schoolwork?"  
"Couldn't you do anything about it?" Yukari asked. "I mean, everyone needs a break sometime."

"I've tried running away, but even that didn't work." Daedalus drank the last of her coffee before continuing. "To tell you the truth, I'm kind of glad that I'm out of that hellhole. I hate being forced to do stuff."

"No offence, but..." Yukari wondered. "When you joined SEES, didn't you feel forced?"

"Actually, I felt relieved." Daedalus smiled. "It's kind of awkward ending up in a random town, but when I reunited with Akihiko, my pain felt eased..."

Daedalus said no more after her little talk. Obviously, she hadn't a clue on what her life should be worth or what path she could choose. Fuuka had a look of sympathy on her face, which made Daedalus turn her head away from the two.

"I don't want anymore sympathy..." She sighed, "I just wanna be me... How can I, though?"

Yukari began to look at her, too. "Dae..."

"Oh... Why am I being such a sad sack?" Daedalus began to smile again (or try to.) "I have friends now, that's what I was told. I'll have fun even if it takes me a lifetime!"

"That's the spirit, Daedalus-chan!" Fuuka cheered her on. "However, we must get back to the dorm now, it's getting late."

"Can I at least change into my new clothes?" Daedalus chuckled, holding up one of the bags. "I wanna try them on!"

...

_"We're back!" _Yukari shouted as they began to open the door. Daedalus was walking in with a completely different look, which made everyone stunned.

Her hair that was usually able to flow in the wind, was settled in a tie that had a long ponytail go to the right side of her head. She wore a pink frilly choker around her neck and wore a long lacy pink dress. It showed a bit of her shoulders, but it wasn't anything _too _revealing. To match with everything else, she bought black boots that went up to her knees.

"That's..." Minato was beginning his sentence.

"Adorable." Akihiko finished smiling.

"Huh?!" Daedalus blushed lightly, "W-Would you quit!?"

_"Ah, so they're back." _A grown voice came from the other side of the room. A man stepped down from going upstairs, and looked at her with a smile. His glasses somewhat hid his eyes, and he had pretty long brown hair for someone looking like they were in their early 40s. "It's nice to meet you, Daedalus."

"Right..." She was confused, "It's nice to meet you, um..."

"Shuji Ikutsuki." He smirked, "Sounds difficult, right? Well, you can just call me Chairman for short. See, I've come to learn more about you after what Mitsuru told me."

"Oh, R-Really?" Daedalus looked away, "That's um... Nice."

"Hey, Dae-Dae's ba-" Junpei walked into the room, slightly blushing at how Daedalus looked. "Wow, Daedalus... I didn't know you could look hot in a dress..."

"W-What?!" Daedalus blushed even deeper. "S-Stop that!"

"Don't worry," Mitsuru walked to where Daedalus was, "I didn't tell him anything personal. You have permission to tell everyone that if you want.."

"Quite." The Chairman just nodded, "Now, please, sit down. We have alot to explain."

Daedalus just sat quietly with Fuuka and Yukari on both her sides of the sofa. Mitsuru sat on one of the sofas, and Minato along with Akihiko and Junpei began to join them all.

"So, Daedalus. Tell me about your parents..." He began, "You don't have to give so much detail, but I'd like to know something."

"Well, uh..." Daedalus sighed, "My mother forced studies on me, but she was still an alcoholic. Then my dad is a thug who abused me in so many ways..."

"Do you have any relatives besides your parents?"

"Well..." She scratched her cheek, "I have a cousin. However, I haven't seen her in a year."

"You seem to be quite familiar with Sanada." Ikutsuki chuckled, "What's the relationship?"

"Hiko-kun's like... My best friend." She laughed at this. "I ran away from home once to get rid of the studies for at least a day, and of course, I stayed with him for awhile. I got to know his friend a bit..."

"Hah, I remember when you had your haircut." Akihiko smirked, "I thought you were always a boy."

"Hey, if it wasn't for the dresses, I would've _looked _like a boy!" She chuckled lightly again.  
"It's good to see relationships build up again." Ikutsuki smiled, "So, Dae... Mitsuru mentioned you couldn't use the Evoker. Why is that?"

She was suprised that the question would come so fast, and a little uncomfortable when everyone just began to stare at her.

"Dae, you don't-"

"It's alright, Hiko-kun." She interrupted him. "I promised I'd tell Mitsuru this evening, so I should right now..."

She took a deep breath, and began her small story. She didn't know what would be the outcome of reactions, but it was for the best.

_"It all started when my mother divorced my father after I got bullied..."_

_

* * *

_

_'Daedalus Tavi, you must remember to study harder.' Her mother was scolding her as Daedalus looked down at her feet. 'Do you _not _see why you've been failing Grade School? You do so well on grades, but you completely _bomb _tests! What's wrong with you?!'_

_'Mother, my head hurts!' She screamed, 'I need a break!'_

_'You know it's all work and no play in this house.' Her mother began to tell her, 'Or is that boy you met all you can think of?'_

_'Hiko-kun is my best friend!' She shouted again, 'He's helped me so much... I need to rest, mother!'_

_Daedalus spoke no more when her mother's hand collided to her cheek. The mark became red, and Daedalus just winced as she placed her hand over it. Tears were falling down her small face as she sniffled a bit. She began to back up from her mother, who was still steamed from her remark._

'I wish that Persona would help me now...' _Daedalus thought to herself, _'Just once...'

_Daedalus seemed to be psychic, as she saw her own body ring her mother by the neck. She wasn't doing anything, but she heard that voice again._

'Henceforth on, your abuse will not be tolerated.' _A deep, grown voice told Daedalus' mother, _'This vessel shan't be abused by you anymore...'

* * *

"I blacked out right after that incident..." Daedalus clenched her fists, "I wasn't in my own home anymore. All I remembered was ending up back with Hiko-kun, and even then I still haven't connected all of it."

"Hm..." Ikutsuki thought for a second. "You're such a harmless girl, yet you're contained with a mass of Darkness."

"It's why I've tried to stay away from everyone..." She sighed, "My father called me a demon when he found out about it, since my mother found out after the divorce... He tried to burn me, so..."

"Whoa, Daedalus!" Junpei walked up to give her a hug. "You don't have to share anymore if you don't want to."

He held her in his arms for a few minutes. Daedalus was already going to begin to cry, but she hated crying in front of people and usually hid it.

"Daedalus, I understand." Ikutsuki told her after she broke off the hug. "To fight in Tartarus, you need a weapon. Since you fear using your Darker Half as a Persona, I will let you use what's in the suitcase I have. Mitsuru?"

"Of course." She pulled out the gray suitcase from under the table, and placed it on top of said table. As she clicked off the locks, she opened it for everyone to see.

Inside was a baby blue glove that went on her left hand, and some cards that showed the symbols of an Element in kanji and some that were Tarot Cards. She could easily tell which element was which, and which Arcana was on each card. She picked the cards up carefully, as she was afraid she could bend them and cause chaos.

"Those are Element cards and Tarot cards as you can see." Ikutsuki began, "These will help you fight in Tartarus. The glove helps you activate them easily and all you need to do is shout what element or Arcana you want to use."

"You're an Elementalist. You can support us with healing and mimic other Persona stats to help you and your teammates." Mitsuru explained with her trademarked smirk. "However, to balance it out, you can only copy half of the statistics that your teammate's Persona possess."

"Y-You did this all for me..?" Daedalus' eyes were widened at the sight.

"Of course." Minato answered, "You're part of SEES now, it shouldn't be hard."

"However, we will help you train once we get back from Yakushima." Junpei gave her a shoulder hug again. "You can become stronger in no time!"

"You're... choking me... again..." Daedalus grunted, pushing Junpei off. "What about school, though? I realized that Gekkoukan has started for more than a month now... I can't just join in the middle of the year.."

"Actually, you can." Mitsuru implied. "We'll just start you off with Second Semester. I'll push you up a few grades so you can be with the team."

"I can't do _that!_" Daedalus shouted, "I'm not that smart!"

"Your grades don't say otherwise." Mitsuru told her, "You won't be forced to study once you get into Gekkoukan High. It is your choice on _how _you would like to study. For now, though, please get some rest. Tomorrow will be the trip to Yakushima."

"Right..." Daedalus bowed, then bowed to the Chairman. "It was nice meeting you, Ikutsuki-san."

"Right back 'atcha." He replied as she walked up to her room with clothes in her hands.


	5. Yakushima! With a Problem

**Chapter 5 - Ya-ku-shi-ma! ...With a Problem.**

_Persona 3: FES/Persona 3 (c) Atlus_

_Daedalus (c) Me_

* * *

July 20th, 2009. Everyone was awaiting this day, as today was the day of relaxation. Today was the day to stop fighting Shadows for a bit, and relax from school work! However, Daedalus insisted she wanted to stay at the dorm, but her fellow teammates would not let her stay in the dorm alone. Junpei even mentioned it would be boring being alone in the dorm by herself, so she had to go with him anyways. However, another "Social Link" occured on the boat ride, and it involved Junpei, too. Once they arrived to Yakushima, she learned that this was the Kirijo Home, Mitsuru's mansion.

"Wow..." Fuuka began to speak.

"This is so beautiful.." Daedalus whispered.

"It's like an episode of _Lifestyles of the Rich and Fabulous_." Junpei was freaked as well.

_"Welcome back, Milady." _The maids began to speak. "And you must be her schoolmates, correct? Welcome to the Kirijo vacation home."

"Are we dreaming?" Yukari asked.

"Whoa, real-life maids.." Junpei was freaked.

"I knew she was from an important family, but..." Fuuka was even suprised. However, what stopped her sentence was a scary-looking man that glared at all of us. He began to walk pass Mitsuru, and looked at him.

"It's good to see you." Mitsuru spoke out flatly, but he just walked away.

"Was that..."

"Her father?" Yukari finished Fuuka's sentence.

"Whoa..." Daedalus was also freaked, then straightened up her skirt nervously.

"Dude, is he gonna make us walk the plank?" Junpei asked.

"Don't be stupid!" Akihiko told him, but Mitsuru only chuckled.

"We won't be staying here, but make yourself at home." She told them.

"Hey, let's go the beach!" Junpei had a wide grin on his face. "Let's go swimming, come on!"

"Can I at least get changed first?" Yukari told them, "Come on, Dae. We can go after we get dressed."

"Right!" She nodded.

...

Junpei ran as quick as he could through the sand carrying a floating tube and shouting like a wild animal. Minato, Akihiko, and Daedalus were right after him, but Daedalus was the slowest.

"Summer's here! Hell, yeah!" Junpei began to shout to himself.

Akihiko looked around for a second.

"Nothing for markers? Man, I was hoping for a really good swim." He implied to himself.

_"Seriously?" _Junpei replied to him. "We come all this way and you just wanna _train?_"

"Hiko-kun, don't push yourself..." Daedalus was holding her volleyball.

"Do you have a better idea?" Akihiko asked Junpei in annoyance.

"Of course!" He smirked mischevious, which made Daedalus back up a bit.

"If you're comparing swimsuits, I'm out!" She sighed. _'It's why I don't wear strapless one-pieces..'_

_"...What?" _Yukari was wearing a simple bikini and had sunglasses on top of her head. Junpei was already smirking as he was thinking of what to say.

"Contestant No. 1, Yukari Takeba! As you can see, she's pulled off a bold design, unexpected from the archery girl!" Junpei began to say. As soon as Yukari noticed what he meant, she glared right back at him.

"Would that umbrella be taken, by any chance?" Fuuka was walking in a two-pieced swimsuit as well, but she didn't get what they were talking about.

"Next up is Contestant No. 2, Fuuka Yamagishi!" As soon as Junpei examined her, he began to blush. "Wow, Fuuka... Y-You should wear a swimsuit more often.."

"W-What?!" She gasped, hiding behind Yukari.

"Oh, come on... Don't be embarassed." He chuckled very... pervertedly.

"Pervert!" Yukari instantly shouted without a problem, which made Minato and Akihiko look at Junpei awkardly.

"Oh, _really?_" He smirked, now eyeing the shy girl that wanted out. "Well, I see Contestant No. 3, Daedalus Tavi! You're so... I mean, it really shows your personality."

_"W-What?!" _She blushed deeply, running behind Akihiko.  
"I swear, Stupei, you're going to make me slap you once in awhile.." Yukari sighed.

"Heh, and here's our final contestant!" He shouted, and as soon as he said so, Mitsuru came out in what looked like a dress mixed with a bikini.

"I-Is something wrong?" Mitsuru stuttered, which was really unlike her.

"Mitsuru-senpai, you're _beautiful!_" Fuuka admired Mitsuru in a flash.

"Whoa, did you already put on sunscreen?!" Yukari asked, but Mitsuru just shook her head. In addition, they began to discuss about what sunscreen worked the best, and how their bodies got sleek like that.

Junpei ignored them and walked straight over to Minato.

"So..." He began, "Which one's your type?"

"Not interested." He told him.

"Sure, like I'm gonna believe that." Junpei smirked. "Man, I'm in _heaven!_ Let's go swimming!"  
"I think all I'm gonna do is make sandcastles or something.." Daedalus smiled weakly, "I mean, it's not like-"

As soon as she was caught off guard, Akihiko shoved Daedalus hard enough to make her trip over her feet and fall into the cold beach water.

_"Whoa!" _She yelped before falling on her back. She had the volleyball slip out of her palms, and hit Minato on the head.

"That wasn't nice!" She laughed a bit, but that laugh changed everything and everyone around her.

Daedalus rarely laughed, and if she did she laughed nervously. However, something about this laugh sparked everyone in the head.

Daedalus began to laugh harder, and somewhat louder. She had blush covering her face due to laughing so much, and everyone was just smiling brightly. The little girl that ended up in the hospital in a coma for a month, just began to start smiling.

"Wow..." Daedalus stopped laughing after a few minutes, "It was just a push, but... I feel so better about myself."

_'...Thou shalt have the Fool's Blessing when strengthening an Arcana...' _said a voice that came out of nowhere inside her head. It struck her odd, but she ignored it when both Akihiko and Junpei ran inside the water with her, and began to splash water all over her. Soon, the girls joined in, but Mitsuru decided to sit under the umbrella.

...

Daedalus had fun, she made sure of that. Before they went inside, she requested that they all played a game of volleyball before they left. They didn't really have a net, so they made one out of driftwood and strands of rope they found lying around. Once setting up the sandy court, Daedalus stood on one end of the court.

"Hey, who should be Team Captains?" Fuuka asked her.

"Uh..." Daedalus pondered for a bit, "Minato can be one of the captains.."

"Sounds good to me." Yukari replied, "Mitsuru-senpai, will you play?"

"Alright." Mitsuru nodded, "I can be the Team Captain if necessary."

"It's all set!" Junpei smiled, "Rock, Paper, Scissors time!"

Mitsuru and Minato ended up doing it, having Mitsuru win in the end.

"Then, I shall pick first." Mitsuru implied. "Hm... Tavi."

"Um, okay." She walked over to Mitsuru's side.  
"Then, I'll pick Junpei." Minato pointed.

"Woo! I'm on my buddy's side!" Junpei quickly ran to him.

"Takeba."

"Akihiko."

"I'll stay on the sidelines and keep score." Fuuka offered. "Let's play!"

"Tavi, it's your serve." Mitsuru noted.

"Right!" She nodded, hitting the ball with all her might. This had Junpei run around for a few, before actually returning the ball over.

_"Take this!" _Yukari spiked the ball onto their court, and knocked Junpei off his own two feet.

"Mitsuru's Team - 1, Minato's Team - 0!" Fuuka shouted.

"Your turn, Mitsuru-san!" Daedalus changed position while tossing the ball to her.

"Right." She caught the ball quickly, and tossed it up in the air to serve.

The game went on for awhile, each person changing serves and either making it miss a point, get a point, or hit the net. Within an hour, Mitsuru finally took a break.

"It's about time we go inside." Mitsuru told them.

"Okay, but what's the score Fuuka?" Daedalus asked her.

"Mitsuru's Team - 35, Minato's Team - 23!" She shouted back to them. "Mitsuru-senpai's team won by 12 points!"

"The only reason was because Daedalus had some clumsy shots." Yukari giggled.

"But, it was fun." Daedalus laughed and felt relieved, "Come on, let's go inside."

As everyone walked ahead, Mitsuru stood by the sand, which made Daedalus looked back.

"Mitsuru-senpai, is something wrong?" Daedalus asked her.

"Tavi..." Mitsuru sighed, "You should stay out here for awhile. You see-"

"I understand." Daedalus made her turn around. "There will be a day when I learn most of the information about the Shadows... and the Dark Hour, and... If that's your father, and you need to talk about something private, leave me out of it."

"...Thanks." Mitsuru smiled calmly. "Feel free to stay out on the beach for awhile."

"Yes, ma'am." Daedalus bowed as she went back to the edge of the water. Mitsuru was gone from the beach now, so she had it all to herself.

...

It got darker as minutes flew by. The moon began to shine on Daedalus as she sat on the sand that was now blowing against her due to the wind. From between her hair, she pulled out a necklace in shape of an angel wing and began to examine it in detail. Earlier when changing her swimsuit, she had somehow obtained this necklace, but hid it from the others. She was confused on why it came to her, but she shrugged it off.

"This is really weird..." She told herself, "This necklace... I could feel it glow from the back of my head."

It had began to glow a bright pink color, but then she began to put it around her neck.

"...?!" Something hit her in the mind. She grabbed her head as it began to pound like drums, and voices began to drift. Where was she? She couldn't remember as the feeling got deeper, and deeper. She felt her head, but it wasn't bleeding. Her vision was getting foggy, and now she was screaming without her noticing.

"What's wrong with me...?!" She shouted to herself, "Whatever this feeling is, stop! Stop it!"

Her hearing blew, and all she could see were blurs coming torwards her. What was wrong with her? Why did she feel this way? She couldn't tell.

Within minutes, her small body fell limp into the sand; the necklace was hanging right around her neck...

* * *

_**Uh, oh. Daedalus suffered from fatigue in the beach again! What's with her?!**_

_**Anyways, review~ Here's another chapter of Blackbullet!  
**_


	6. Discussions

**Chapter 6 - Discussions.**

**_Persona Series belongs to Atlus, while Daedalus belongs to me! :3_  
**

**

* * *

**

Daedalus awoke in a dark and swampy forest that told that alot of dark energy surrounded the place. She was on her knees now, but she couldn't even move on them because she was easily scraped. She cried in pain when she hit a pointed vine, but began to push it away ignoring the pain the best she could.

"Where am I...?" She asked herself, looking down to where the necklace was. It was still on her neck, but it was glowing an onyx black color, so she decided not to mess with it. "Why am I here?"

_"It's so good to see you in person for the first time, Daedalus Tavi." _A blood-curdling voice called out in the distance. "Too bad I have to use such an innocent like you.."

The girl was like the polar opposite of Daedalus. Replacing Daedalus' sandy brown eyes, were a particular blue, and the hair was jet black. Her dress was fluffed with white at the ends of the sleeves, but her dress was darker than a normal royal blue dress. It covered all her legs, and her sparkling black shoes could barely be seen through the dress. Instead of a timid personality, her smirk and stare could tell that she was hostile.

"What the-" Daedalus began to back up, to turn around and run, but the girl just shook her head.

"You can't run, fool." She appeared face-to-face with Daedalus by teleporting, and began to snap her fingers.

Black withered vines erupted from the ground, and wrapped themselves around Daedalus' stomach. Indeed, it hurt, as not only did the binding hurt, but the needles that were on the actual vine gave pain to Daedalus. The two vines that wrapped her by the stomach lifted her into the air.

Daedalus couldn't escape, even if this was a dream.

"Do you _know _who I even _am_?" The girl was circling the vines at her own pace.

"Agh...N-No, I don't." Daedalus couldn't even squirm. She was bleeding barely, now. Blood could be seen through the strapless swimsuit she was still in.

"Do you remember that day? The exact date... August 6th, 2008?" The girl began to snap her fingers again, making the vines crush Daedalus from within.

"O-Ow..." Daedalus began to think with tears on the verge from escaping the corners of her eyes. She remembered it now, though... August 6th was the day her Darker Half almost killed her mother in front of her eyes.

"Well, _do you_?!" The girl was getting annoyed very quickly. Her eyes flashed purple, and her teeth were gritted. "Even if you don't, I'll tell you now.."

The young lady clapped her hands twice, and the vines let go of Daedalus quickly. She dropped to the ground, beginning to cough up blood slightly.

The girl ignored it. "Don't you see?! I saved your ass that day... That day your mother was going to abuse you. I saw through it all... I saw what she was gonna do next."

"So you're..." Daedalus' eyes widened as large as they could get. "M-My Darker Half?!"

"It took you that long?" Her darker half turned her back to Dae in a flash. "I saved you, but you owe me..."

"I-I'll do anything, I'll-" Before Daedalus finished the sentence, noises began to pop up as fast as they could.

"Looks like our time is up for now, little Daedalus..." She explained, "Until we meet again..."

The girl faded into darkness, and before Daedalus could say anything, light shined upon her.

...

_"Uwa!" _Daedalus sprang up from the sofa in a different room. She noticed trees, the sofas, the--

"It seems that she is awake, however, she looks quite disturbed." A "mechanical maiden" to say the least, but her blonde hair and blue eyes seemed so real. Her mechanical body was built sturdily, and she had a bow tied around her neck.

"Ah, so she is awake." Ikutsuki walked over to her, "We found you unconcious on the beach. Did something happen?"

"No, I..." She tried to think for a second, "I barely remember anything... I know Mitsuru-senpai walked away, and then... Everything began to fade quickly..."

"Dae-Dae, are you okay now, though?" Akihiko asked, but once he did she turned her head away. Those vines didn't leave marks, but they sure did have her hurt internally.

"... I suppose I should be truthful, since you're all here." She sighed, "While unconcious, I met my Darker Half..."

As soon as she told everyone, their eyes took a turn widening.

"Y-You're darker half?! You mean, the one that you were talking about the other day?" Junpei shouted.

"Yes, my Darker Half..." Daedalus sighed, "I don't know what she's getting at, but I know for sure that she's probably up to something.."

Daedalus began to get up, but was about to fall flat on her face when Akihiko caught her again.

"You _need _to rest." He told her, "You're gonna hurt yourself if you can't heal yourself, first."

"I'm okay..." Daedalus sighed, awfully lying so people wouldn't worry. Akihiko placed her back onto the sofa. "Oh, who's that?"

"That is Aigis." Ikutsuki began to explain, "She is an anti-Shadow weapon."  
"It is nice to meet you." Aigis began to talk. "If I am correct, you must be the Persona-user with intelligence that is above average, Daedalus Tavi."

"R-Right." Daedalus held her head to endure the pain that came through her. "Mitsuru-senpai... Ikutsuki-san... When we get back to the dorm... I'd like to be checked, Persona-wise." Daedalus requested, "I want to know what pain is overcoming me.."

"Of course." Mitsuru nodded, "It's understandable to want to be checked on Persona statistics."

"Just take it easy." Minato patted her back, "It's the last day, so we should try to relax. However, Daedalus, if you need to please get some rest in here."

"I'll be alright." She replied, "I promise, I'll try to take it easy."

"Dae-Dae, if you want, I can stay in here for awhile." Akihiko turned and locked his eyes onto hers.  
"Eh?" She tilted her head sideways, "Y-You don't have to... I mean, I can stay here alone.."

"Dae, you stayed alone at the beach and fell unconcious." Akihiko was slightly annoyed by her, but sighed. "Look, I'll watch you until the day ends and we go home."

"Hiko-kun..." Daedalus turned her head away with blush flushing her cheeks slightly.

Daedalus stayed quite for some time. She hated when people offered to care after her, because she knew deep down she wanted someone to notice her. She hated feeling alone, but knew she would usually come through with SEES now.

At least... She hoped.

Within another few minutes, Akihiko tried to begin a conversation with Dae.

"I can kinda tell..." He said.

"What?" She replied, "What do you mean?"

"You've been hurt alot while me and _him _were away with SEES." Akihiko continued. "Why didn't you run? I mean... Why did you take all that pain?"

"Trying to fight it off... I felt so strong. I told myself 'I could do this' or 'I could win!' However..." She sighed, "I failed. The only way I got away before my father burning me was to kick him before it was too late. I never said I _didn't _leave unscathed, though."

She lightly touched her back and winced. She dreaded ever talking about it, but Hiko-kun somehow allowed her to tell everyone in SEES.

"We tried so hard to save you..." Akihiko sighed, "Daedalus, if you've dealt with that much pain, why did you join SEES?"

"...I want to prove my worth." Daedalus lied as wobbled when she began to stand up, but she soon stood up straight without a problem. "I want to fight the Shadows and save the world!"

"But, you know you're risking your life, right? We have a week till the next Full Moon appears, and you need some extra training." Akihiko warned.

"I'll become stronger." Daedalus nodded. Her voice wasn't as soft as a whisper anymore, but quite normal. "Sanada-senpai..."

Akihiko shook his head as if he didn't hear her correctly. "Sanada-senpai?" She only called him that when they first met, and never used it again after he helped.

Akihiko got up after a few minutes, and placed his hand onto her shoulder, whirling her to his direction. He locked his eyes onto hers again with a stern look across his face. This told Daedalus, that what he was about to say wasn't a joke.

"Daedalus, if anything gets out of hand in SEES, I want you to run." Akihiko explained. "Run. Run far away and think positive. If you think negatively, your darker half's probably going to come back and hurt you again. Know that I care for you, alright?"

_"Hiko-kun...?!" _Daedalus turned her direction away again. She heard the same voice.

_'Thou art I... and I art thou,' _It began _'Thou shalt have the blessing when strengthening the Persona...'_

Daedalus' necklace began to glow a purple color. She began to stare into space when Akihiko's voice came back into mind.

_"...lus? Daedalus?! Are you alright?!" _He was shaking her again, "Did something happen?!"

"...Huh?" She shook her head in confusion. "W-Were you saying something, Hiko-kun?"

"Did you get all that?" Akihiko wondered.

"I understand. You're only worrying because you care, but..." She shook her head again, "Did you say anything after that? I'm sorry for the, uh... random space out."

"...It's alright." Akihiko sighed, "Just... Be careful."

"Right." She nodded.

...

"...Hey, Daedalus is up!" Junpei shouted in excitement.

"It is wise to take it easy and rejuvinate your stamina before participating in this recreation." Aigis explained to Dae, as she and Akihiko began to walk out to the beach.

"She'll be alright, she's going to be sitting under the shade for awhile." Akihiko reassured Aigis.

"Tavi, if there is anything you need-"

"No, it's okay." Daedalus shook her head when Mitsuru's sentence was cut off by her. "I'll just sit here and watch you all play."

"I see..." Mitsuru replied with a worried look on her face. "Well, please take it easy."

"I understand." Daedalus replied, but then looked up at the sky.

_'What's wrong with me?' _She thought to herself, _'Why am _I _the one with the personality disorder? Then again... It's fun to know that they don't mind me this way..'_

"We'll be leaving back to the dorm in awhile, so try to have some fun while you're at it." Minato began to start a conversation. "How are you gonna start school again? Summer vacation's coming up."

"Oh, it is?" Daedalus was worried, "I'll see what we can do, Minato-san. I really have to keep my studies up, and that's gonna be a little tough with fighting Shadows. However, I don't want to get in your way when fighting, so please tell me if I'm blocking you out from attacking!"

"You haven't even fought yet, and you're already worried about strategy..." Minato patted her head, "Don't worry, just keep your guard up as you fight. It's simple as that, since you control long ranged attacks."

"Right, I'll do my best!" She clenched her and into a fist and punched the air.

* * *

_**And so... Daedalus finally met her Darker Half, and woke up from her semi-coma. Now, she learns about Aigis, and tells herself she'll fight for all of the world!**_

_**Next Chapter deals with Tartarus, as it deals with one of the Guardian battles of the blocks.**_

_**Rate and Review, please~  
**_


	7. Daedalus VS Tartarus

**Chapter 7 - Daedalus vs Tartarus.**

That night, SEES had headed back from the trip of Yakushima. Daedalus wasn't so tired, but she was beat from having fun and everything that happened during the trip. She was looking at Minato talking with the Chairman, and how Junpei kept talking about how he'll go kick some Shadow ass in Tartarus. Obviously, Daedalus had no idea about Tartarus, but it seemed that she could handle the comments.

Mitsuru had said she would register Daedalus into the school the next morning, and she'd have to attend class once summer break was over. Daedalus was okay, since she could finally have some fun with people she began to know as friends now.

What killed her was, why did she have to have some hurt in her.

"Tavi." Mitsuru called her over to the stairs as she was walking up. Daedalus simply obeyed and followed Mitsuru on her own.

...

"I understand you wanted to be checked, right?" Mitsuru asked. "Though, you shouldn't really stress it-"

"I wanna know what's wrong with me, Mitsuru-senpai!" She somewhat shouted. "Sorry... It's just that my life's been so messed up. If my Darker Half is a Persona, and each Persona has a certain Arcana Attribute, I'd need help!"

"Where'd you learn about the Arcana?!" Mitsuru was shocked she knew.

"Akihiko." She explained that talking with Akihiko on the ship had lots to do with how she knew more about the shadows. "There's 22 Major Arcana, right? And then 4 Minor?"

"C-Correct." Mitsuru was able to say, despite being suprised. "A-Anyways... We'll be going to the control room. There, we can get a complete scan on you."

"O-Okay." She began to follow Mitsuru again with worry in her chest.

They began to walk to the fourth floor, soon having Mitsuru open the double doors in between. She thought of it being a Control Room for a reason, as the computer had screens of all the different rooms in the dorm. There was a couch, a rolling chair, and many other neat things.

Mitsuru pointed to the computer.

"Stand by here, please." She requested easily.

Daedalus felt quite uneasy on what was going to come, but she knew she had to do it if she wanted to know more about herself. She walked by the computer, and put the headphones that Mitsuru began to give her around her head. Mitsuru then sat down, and began to type at a steady pace to send coordinates to the Supercomputer. When Mitsuru tapped a button to enter the information in, Daedalus began to sweat nervously. While waiting for the end of it, Mitsuru heard voices outside.

_"Hey, why's the door open?" _A voice called out.

_"Hm, it seems that people are in there..." _Another voice began. Footsteps began to grow louder into the distance, but the dramatization faded when they found out it was just Akihiko and the Chairman.

_'G-Go away...' _Daedalus thought to herself in fear. _'Don't look... I don't want you to worry...'_

"Mitsuru, you are still checking her, correct?" Ikutsuki asked Mitsuru in curiosity.

"Yes, and right now..." Mitsuru sighed, "These results... They're... _Interesting..."_

"Huh?" Akihiko was confused. "What's wrong? What's going on with Dae?"

"Well..." Mitsuru held her arm and rubbed it nervously. "Daedalus _is _capable of summoning a Persona... her Darker Half, but..."

"Tell me what's going on Mitsuru.." He sounded serious, his fists clenching up with a worried look flickering in his eyes. "What's wrong with her?"

"Go ahead and take off the headphones, Tavi." Mitsuru signaled, which Daedalus immediately did.

She sighed, "Well... Tavi, you're Arcana is..."

_"..Death."_

Daedalus' heart stopped for a minute, and she tried to think correctly. Death? Seriously? Is she really that horrible to begin with?

_'Death means the end, but a new beginning...' _Daedalus thought to herself, still shocked at hearing the result. _'However... Death is what caused all this to start in the first place..'_

"D-Dae...?" Akihiko put his hand on her shoulder. His eyes were widened greatly, and he didn't know how to respond to his childhood friend.

"D-Death...?" She shook for a minute, soon falling on her knees with tears beginning to slide down her face. "D-Death...?!"

All she wanted to do was cry. It was the only thing she was good at, but now that she figured out she had part of _Death _in her, why did she want to fight?!

She began to wail with all the pain that she had kept hidden in her frail body. She covered her face with her two hands, and continued to sniffle and drain all the sorrow that came from the suspense.

Akihiko was just standing there. A little upset that it came down to this, but also pitied to see Daedalus just sobbing on the ground. Within a few minutes, Akihiko knelt down and embraced her in his arms tightly.

"I should've known..." Daedalus' voice shook. "I should've known I was a demon from the start... I should've just list-"

"Don't say that!" Akihiko pulled her into a view to lock his eyes onto hers. "Damn it, you can't lose confidence in yourself so easily!"

"H-Hiko-kun, y-you don't get it!" She yelped, "I've been in pain for so long! Now, I know why I _was _in pain! W-Why... Why should I even bother living anymore?"

She pulled away from Akihiko, then wiping her tears.

"That's right..." She quit sniffling, but her face was burning red. "I only lived... because I was waiting to visit Hiko-kun... I only lived due to that..."

"I see." Ikutsuki began to speak, "If that is what it has come to, then that's what it needs to be. Indeed, Death is a touchy subject, however..."

"It cannot be rid of from your body now, Tavi." Mitsuru replied, "You should still try to fight. Don't you have a reason for fighting?"

"That's right, don't you remember what you said back when we talked?" Akihiko tried to smile, "You wanted to prove your worth. You wanted to say 'Hey, I can fight!' to yourself and not feel like lying."

"..." Daedalus looked away and began to get up on her feet. "I-I'll be leaving now..."

"Huh?" Mitsuru was even confused.

"I'll be going to bed early tonight..." She told them within a whisper, "Tomorrow, I will try to tag along to Tartarus... battle it out and such."

_"...Good Night."_

...

The next morning, she was quite tired. She knew that today she would be registered into Gekkoukan High School by Mitsuru, but she couldn't bring herself to talk to any of them after what happened and all she could think about was how Mitsuru was going to get her into the High School. She was only fourteen, and she was going on her last two years of Junior High, but it was probably due to her being above average education that she did so well.

"That's right." She began to get up, "Because I will be attending at a young age, if I graduate early, I can still wait to get a job and try to get settled. Not only that, but since I'm attending after summer's over, I have more freetime today!"

She jumped off the bed, and began to pick the clothes she wanted to wear for the day she _wanted _to have fun in.

_'Crying's not gonna solve anything anymore...' _Daedalus was telling herself with a hardened face. _'I gotta be tough!'_

She began to put on some khaki shorts that would help her feel the breeze outside. She wore her new tennis shoes, and wore a jacket that fit snugly around her and her plain white tee. As she was walking out her room, she saw Akihiko in the hall.

"Oh, Dae. I was just about to come knock on your door." He smiled nervously.

"..." She said nothing, kind of upset that she broke down in front of them all, then yelled at him at that.

"I-I was just wondering.." He scratched his head nervously. "If you would like to go eat out with me at the um... Beef Bowl place tomorrow..?"

"..." She turned her head away, for a minute and thought. She had to talk sometime, but it seemed she didn't want to. "I'm sorry.."

"Huh?" He blinked.

"I'm sorry for acting like such a jerk yesterday..." She sighed. Who knew it would just be a one day grudge? "I shouldn't have yelled like that. I was stupid-"

With his gloved hand, he messed up her hair and smiled wider.

"Don't worry about it, you had to cry." He nodded, "I gotta go now, so... I'll see you later?"

He began to walk off, when Daedalus caught his sleeve.

"Wait."

"What?"

"I wouldn't... _mind _going with you tomorrow." She replied, finally letting go. Akihiko just smiled back at her, and walked out.

...

She went to the Naragaki Shrine that was just down the road. She wasn't the type to be religious, but any shrine she went to with her mother would always end up having her leaning on something. Indeed she did, as she began to lean against the wall and look up at the clear morning sky.

"I'll be able to provide support, huh?" She asked herself, beginning to walk around the leaves.

_'You...' _A voice began to whisper in her head, _'You've finally found out what my true form is, huh?'_

"What do you mean by 'True Form'?" Daedalus asked in a whisper, hoping no one would hear her talking to herself. "Do you mean your Arcana?"

"It's exactly what I mean.." Daedalus' necklace began to glow. She never _could _take it off, even if she tried. It was stuck onto her like super glue being stuck on paper.

"You've caused so much trouble with my mind... How could you?" She whispered, "I've let you take my body, and you repay me with pain!?"

'Silence.' She scolded Dae. 'You let that happen to you on your own accord, quit blaming others.'

"I.."

'You let yourself hurt. You remained oblivious to beatings. Are you going to continue that way?' Her Darker Self asked.

"If I let myself be hurt, I would be dead right now, right?" Daedalus asked. "Because Death would be calling me? You tell me that!"

The voice faded away, and she turned to the sun.

"Humph, I'm going back to the dorm." She whispered to herself, but then thought for a minute.

"Well..." She paced around some more, "It wouldn't hurt to start heading over to Gekkoukan. I mean, it's almost time for everyone to get out, and I could surprise them after all."

With that settled she eagerly walked off to the school, and was ready to suprise everyone with just a smile.

...

By the time she got to the station and rode to the High School, it was already time for all the high school students to get out. As she walked down the path, everyone that saw her began to stare. Most of them whispered on how cute she was, others began to whisper on why she wasn't in school or how they never saw her around before. Whatever the reason was, she blushed deeply and tried to ignore them. However, she ended up hiding behind a tree that the leaves were beginning to fall off of.

_"Now, what to do on Summer Vacation?" _Daedalus recognized that voice. She easily knew it was Junpei's with his goofy tone.

_"You know, _tomorrow _is the last day for Summer Vacation, right?" _Minato's voice came next. It was obvious that footsteps came closer, which made her even more nervous.

"What should we do?" Minato asked. "We're going to Tartarus tonight, remember that."

"Oh, I know." Junpei smiled, "Why not go back to the dorm and wait?"

"As long as all the gang's there." Minato replied, "It makes me feel relieved if we have all members there for battle."

"Right... You just wanna go out with one of the girls." Junpei grinned mischeviously.

"Do _not._" Minato huffed.

"Yo." Daedalus smiled sweetly after coming out from behind the tree. "Are you guys gonna be quarreling all day?"

"What the-" Minato blinked. "How'd you get here?"

"I took the bus at the station, heh." Daedalus smiled sweetly. She knew she was getting better at talking with the members of SEES. "I was expecting everyone to come out today, but looks like everyone has something to do after school."

"Well, I'm free today." Minato stuffed his hands into his pocket, "What about you Junpei?"

"Let's take Dae-Dae out to have some fun!" Junpei grinned.

"Really, Junpei, you have alot of energy on your hands.." Minato sighed. "I think we should get back early though, the next train will leave us if we don't get to the station."

"Aww..." Junpei groaned.

* * *

That night, Tartarus was open for the gang to go and explore in. Daedalus' glove was fit snugly, and her skirt had a belt that fit many things in two pockets. Her sets of Tarot Cards were in the pockets of the belt, and she had the SEES band on her right shoulder. Minato already explained how they were going to explore the place, so Daedalus wasn't so worried.

"Alright, team," Minato began, "We will explore up to the point to defeat the 8th Guardian of Tartarus. This will give Daedalus some perfect training for support."

"I'll do my best!" She bowed, following the gang to the teleporter.

...Floor 65...

"This place is so creepy..." Daedalus shivered for a bit. She was slowly following everyone, but she had to keep up if she wanted to battle.

"Watch out!" Minato shouted to her, as a Shadow appeared from behind.

_"Aaah!" _Daedalus was slapped away by it instantly. She took her element cards out first, while Minato got into Battle formation with her.

"Be on your guard at all times." He replied, "I'll help you fight this one."

"Right!" She looked at each of the cards in detail and finally chose one that suited her. "O-Okay..."

"Mitsuru, how does she attack?" Minato shouted back to her.

"She must say the name of the move, just like how we must say the name of the Persona sometimes!" Mitsuru replied.

"Okay..." Daedalus pulled out one of the cards, _"G-Garu!"_

Within minutes, she tossed the card and a wave of wind blasted the shadow away from her. Minato just whacked it with the bat to finish it off.

"Wow, Dae." Yukari smiled, "Nice job."

"I... I did that?" She was amazed at what she could do. True, it was a little weak, but if it fatalized her enemy, she could deal with helping everyone.

"If you did _that_, you _must _be strong!" Minato encouraged her, "Come on, let's try getting to the Guardian."

...

Daedalus continued to walk on her own after they split up to find the stairs. Obviously, she was scared to walk on her own, but she knew she had to obey Minato in order to get through to the Guardian. She was alone now, looking for the exit, and obviously muttering to herself.

"Man, everyone has an awesome Persona..." Daedalus sighed, "I admire Hiko-kun and Polydeuces..."

She shook her head in annoyance and groaned.

"This isn't the time to be admiring someone!" She blushed a bit, messing with her hair. "I need to find the-"

A beetle-like monster appeared in front of her face with a mask on the tip of it's head. It's beady black eyes scared her without warning, and it's horn was too close to her neck.

Daedalus began to step back, "..Stairs?"

The beetled roared, and simply charged into Daedalus without a problem. She should've known, Floor 71 had at _least _one monster that would attack without mercy.

"K-Keh..." She rolled onto the floor, steadily getting up to deal damage. "G-Go away... _M-Mudo!_"

She shot a blast of darkness at it, but it seemed to have dodged it without a problem. It got it's next attack ready, and pushed it's ridged horn into her stomach. She yelped a bit in pain, while barreling down onto a wall of the floor. Her first day in Tartarus, and she was about to die?

No, she couldn't escape Death this time... At least, that's what she _thought _until she heard Fuuka's voice.

_"Dae-chan is in trouble!"_

_"Don't overdo it." _A gunshot was heard, and Polydeuces appeared in front of her again. It's bulky feminine body used the needle on the left arm to flash a white light at Dae. Without trouble, Daedalus got back up onto her feet.

"T-Thank-"

"Keep your guard up!" Akihiko shouted to her, having her flinch. She had never heard Akihiko shout as serious as that.

_"Lock on!" _Aigis joined into the fight, as she used her guns to pierce the last of the Shadow. "Efficiently Executed."

"Wow..." Daedalus was breathing heavily. "Aigis-chan, you're really good."

"It is our duty to fight Shadows," Aigis replied, "It is nothing special."

"Dae-Dae, are you alright?" Akihiko patted the dust off the back of her shirt. "That was a pretty strong hit you took."

"I should be supporting _you, _yet I'm the one being supported.." She mumbled, "Oh. _Medi-_"

"No need." Akihiko waved to signal her to put the skill away, "You'll get your chance."

"Right.." She nodded, looking up to one of the halls. "Huh? Isn't that-"

Stairs appeared in front of her face as she walked up to them. They seemed to be walking up in a swirl up to a higher point in the building.

"The Guardian is on the next floor," Fuuka began, "Please be careful!"

"Right!" Minato nodded, "Okay, team. It's time to set up formation."

"I would like to request that Daedalus should be our healer." Aigis said. "She seems capable of being defense."

"Yeah, little Dae-Dae can heal for us!" Junpei teased.

"Hey, you shouldn't mess with her like that, Stupei!" Yukari shouted.

"It's alright, I want to try to heal." She nodded, "Let's fight it!"

Minato ran ahead, and teleported them all to the 72nd Floor.

...

"There are three Shadows in the middle." Fuuka announced to them. "Please be cautious."

"Got it, Fuuka." Minato began walking forward, "Hey, look."

"That looks like the next teleporter." Akihiko replied.

An orange platform appeared in front of them, but unlike the others it was glowing.

Daedalus just kicked the ground. She obviously didn't want to trigger anything else.

"So, is this how we exit the place?" Daedalus asked.

"Right." Yukari smiled at her, "You've learned alot since we first came into Tartarus."

"Well, I have to get adjusted to it _sometime._" She shrugged. "So... How do I activate it?"

"Just tap it." Junpei replied.

"Okay." She placed her hand on it and turned it on. "All set."

"Quite, now let's go find those Shadows!" Akihiko cracked his knuckles.

"Everyone, they're over here." Mitsuru pointed through another hallway, which made everyone come their way.

"SEES, prepare for battle!" Minato shouted, having Daedalus spaz a bit before facing the same direction everyone else did.

* * *

_**I was eager to finally spill out what Daedalus' Arcana was. It was stressing me so much, I decided to just put it with the Chapter they go to Tartarus at!**_

_**Rate and Review, please! I'm eager to know how much you guys like/dislike it!**_

_**Persona 3 belongs to ATLUS, while Daedalus belongs to me.  
**_


	8. A First Date

**Chapter 8 - A First Date.**

Daedalus went into a stance where her gloved hand was up, and her other one was not. She set her feet in a position that was comfortable for her and began charge her attack.

"Yukari, Daedalus, Provide support!" Minato commanded, "Junpei, you and Akihiko will go full force with me. Aigis go into Orgia Mode, and Mitsuru try to knock them down."

"Got it!" Daedalus stood by Yukari and began the battle.

"These are called Furious Gigas.." Fuuka said from the distance, "Keep your guard up, we'll be fine if you do."

"Orgia Mode: Activated." Aigis boosted her power tenfold, soon aiming her gun at an enemy. _"Lock On!"_

"Take _this!_" Junpei shot his evoker and summoned his Persona, Hermes, into play. However, when Hermes tried to attack, it failed. "Damn it!"

"Take it easy!" Daedalus pulled out a card. _"Dia!"_

She aimed it at Junpei, who thanked her after being healed. This didn't stop the enemies though, as they went straight after Daedalus.

She dodged the first one. _"Hey!"_

The second. _"Shoot!"_

The third one she failed and was punched in the back after turning around to see it not being there. She slid to the floor again, pulling herself back up.

_"Persona!" _Akihiko shouted, summoning Polydeuces. _"Sonic Punch!"_

Little damage was done to the Shadow, which made Akihiko flinch.

The battle continued with many moves done to the Shadow. Daedalus tried her best to keep up, but she was getting tired overall, and was soon failing to dodge anything.

"I...can't move..." She fell on one knee. "I'm... getting weak..."

"We found out Garu can knock it down," Akihiko replied, "Can you help us with that?"

"I... can't..." She was leaning forward back on her two legs again. "My orders... were to support... _D-Dia!_"

She healed herself again, and stumbled a bit. _"Garu!"_

She kicked the other one down with mild wind damage, and she just looked back at Minato in worry.

"Go for it!" Junpei shouted in Minato's place. "Do it again!"

"R-Right!" She snapped her fingers again, _"G-Garu!!"_

"One more time!" Minato yelled.

_"Garula!!" _She shocked herself when a larger blast of wind knocked down the last one. "W-Whoa..."

"Call an All-Out Attack!" Akihiko took her out of the daze she got into.

"R-Right. Let's finish this with an All-Out Attack!" She cried out.

_"All-Out Attack, commence!" _Minato directed torwards the Guardians. "Finish them off!"

_"Charge!!" _Everyone shouted in despair. Many smacks and whacks were heard in the room that was now getting dusty. Within a few minutes, all three Shadows were gone and everyone finished. Daedalus brushed off the dust on her skirt and tried to catch her breath.

"Are they really this... sorta long?" Daedalus scratched her head in confusion.

"Sometimes they're longer than this, sometimes shorter." Minato explained, "You'll get used to it."

"Oh." She walked to the remains and saw a shiny egg on the floor. "What's this?"

"That's a Precious Egg." Junpei replied, "It heals the energy that allows us to summon the Persona or use a move."

"I see." Daedalus replied, completely understanding it.

"Well, Dae." Minato patted her on the head, "You did well on your first mission, so consider yourself part of the team."

"Great!" She jumped for joy. "Thank you, Minato-san."

Within minutes, she jumped and embraced him tightly. She hated feeling worthless, and more so being left out. However, with SEES on her side, she didn't care much. She knew everyone would accept her for who she was, since everyone was like a bit of family to her.

...

The next morning she awoke with an uneasy feeling in her chest. Nothing that felt like she had an influenza or anything, but something that made her say "I know something bad's gonna happen."

She tried to ignore it though, as she got right back up and dressed up in the white dress she wore the first day she met SEES. After today, Summer Vacation would be over for all of them, and apparently Akihiko had asked her if she wanted to eat out with him today. She accepted, but she knew it wasn't until later and decided to just stay at the dorm and rest today.

As she walked downstairs, she saw Aigis coming _upstairs_.

"Oh, Good Morning, Aigis." She greeted her sincerely.

"It is good to see you, Daedalus." Aigis smiled a bit.

"Just call me Dae," Daedalus blushed a bit, "It's kind of awkward when I hear people call me by my full name."

"I comprehend." She replied. "Are you going to school this morning?"

"Oh, no." Daedalus shook her head, "I will be going after summer."

"I see." Aigis was walking around the room, "Do you have some sort of relationship with Sanada-san?"

This question had Daedalus blush deeply, making her think for a second. Sure, she hadn't acted this way before when she talked about him being her best friend. However, this time she felt quite different, and decided to lie.

"We're just friends, Aigis." Daedalus replied, "We've been friends for quite awhile now."

"I understand." Aigis bowed, "I will go back to the command room for now. Take care."

As Aigis walked off, Daedalus got to thinking. Not about the discussion about the relationship, but how she can improve on her skills in the battlefield. She barely survived in the battle, and almost got killed by a Shadow when her guard was down. Not to mention, she never heard Akihiko shout like that in a few years.

"I know, I'll go to the bookstore at the Iwatodai Station!" Daedalus was talking to herself. "I know Fuuka told me about it once, but I can't remember the name of it... She said it's the second station besides Port Island..."

She then slapped her head when realizing what she meant.

"Oh, duh, it's the one _I _always go to when going to Gekkoukan." She walked back to her room to get her shoes on, "Besides, I need to get to know this city better..."

...

Daedalus walked for awhile with a smile attempting to attach itself onto her small face. She remembered being able to go out with Akihiko sometimes when she was younger, _if _her mom ever let her. When she did though, it was only for fifteen minutes before being dragged inside for another month. When she stopped at one point, she looked at the sky and examined how beautiful the clouds were. At least, to her they were.

_"Never thought I'd see you here." _A girl in a black tank-top and skirt walked out to greet Daedalus. Her hair was divided in a certain way, so it wouldn't get in the way.

"Hey, aren't you that-"

"Yep, I'm the owner of Lolita Gothix." She replied, "A former Gekkoukan High School student, but now I'm homeschooled."

"I-I thought older teens couldn't get homeschooled?" Daedalus was puzzled for a few minutes.

"Next year, I have to go back." She sighed. "The name's Daira, by the way. You look awfully familiar..."

"What do you mean?"

"I had a younger relative who had the same type of innocence as you." Daira chuckled sadly, "I wish she didn't leave me, though..."

"...Wait, you said your name was what again?" Daedalus stared into her eyes. She had to tap into her mind for a bit. She knew she had a cousin, but the cousin lost contact with her.

"Daira. Daira Ta-" Daira widened her eyes, "Wait a minute... Are you, Daedalus Tavi?"

"Daira?!" Daedalus was shocked to even see her family counterpart again. "My gosh, it's been so long..."

"I know, I was worried.." Daira pulled her into a long family reunion hug. She squeezed Daedalus tightly before letting go. "Where'd you go?! When you disappeared, we were all completely worried."

"I somehow ended up here..." Daedalus shrugged. She didn't want to reveal any secrets about her, but she wasn't sure if her cousin knew about the darker half.

"When I saw your house burnt down, I immediately screamed." Daira explained. "I didn't know if you were dead or not, and all your things disappeared. It's why I came to this part of Japan and got a job."

"So, you work as a DJ?"

"And a clothes designer." She smiled proudly. "However, my business contract's gonna die in 3 months since I don't have the funds to keep the store open. That's why I have to go back to Gekkoukan next year."

"You use your own funds for your education?" Daedalus had her mouth gapped open. "Why?"

"Ma moved to America with Pa, and they couldn't ship their money over here." She repleid. "Homeschooling's a pain in the ass to use my money on, and I barely have enough to pay the monthly rent."

"Ouch." Daedalus replied.

"Eh, nothing special." Daira replied, "But, what about you? You lost your home, right? You have to have nowhere to go!"

"Don't worry." Daedalus smiled. "I reunited with Hiko-kun, again. I live in the dorm now that's-"

"Oh, the.. um..." She put her voice into a whisper. "SEES dorm...?"

"How do you know about that?" Dae whispered back.

"I heard about the Apathy Syndrome. Plus, you could say I met up with Shuji Ikutsuki." She winked.

"Wow..." Daedalus envied her older cousin. To have risked her life to take an education detour, it was pretty big. "B-But, where do you-"

"I live in my store." She smiled. "Music is my life, girl. When I'm not working on homework, I remix. When I'm not remixing, I fall asleep with my MP3 player."

"That's incredible..."

"Yeah. Hey, are you free for awhile?" Daira asked.

"I have to go in an hour, why?" Dae replied smiling.

"I was wondering if you would like to go to Book On with me." Daira replied, "I know you like reading when you aren't forced on bookwork."

"I was _always _forced on bookwork." Dae groaned.

"Well, whatever, let's go!" She pulled Daedalus' wrist and walked off into the store with her.

...

Daedalus looked around inside the store as they went in. Alot of Manga was sold there, and Daira wanted to take her out of so much horror from her painful life. Thinking she had made a mistake, she was actually glad Daedalus was enjoying herself and picking up the variations of Manga that were laid out on the tables. She loved how good the pages felt, since all the books she used were raggety and tacky looking.

"Feel free to take your time." Daira nodded, "It's on me."

"I gotta go soon." Daedalus told her, picking out a book with a black cover. "I'll take this one!"

"Wonder how that book ended up here." Daira snickered.

"What?" Daedalus turned her head in confusion, but then looked at the cover.

_'Dating Tips:_

_Way to tell a man your feelings.'_

"..." Daedalus' face turned completely red at the thought. "U-Uh...Never-"

"I'll be buying that for you." She stuck her tongue out teasingly. "Just say it was a gift from me."

"H-Hey! Daira!!" She shouted, "D-Don't do that!"

"Sorry." She sang while skipping around, "But, this is _your _book now."

"...Meanie." Dae stuck her tongue out.

"Come on, let's just buy it for you, alright?" Daira placed the money on the counter while talking. "It'll be pretty useful later on, I bet."

...

"Daira, it's really good to see you again." Daedalus walked out with the book wrapped up in a bag for easy carrying. "However, you're such a tease, like always."

"Not my fault!" She chuckled, then looked at her watch. "Shoot, gotta go. The store's gonna open in around 45 minutes, so..."

"I understand." Daedalus smiled. "I gotta meet up with my friend soon."

"Alright." Daira bowed, "See you later!"

"Bye-Bye!" Daedalus waved to her as she left. She sighed, but left a small smile on her face while looking at her long-lost cousin. Though, she was annoyed because of her _cousin _doing this. Daedalus didn't think of her friends as crushes, but it just felt weird to her when everyone said they should've been a couple.  
As she sat on the bench with her bag, she looked up at the sky in a daze.

"Daira's probably right, though..." She sighed, "Maybe I really _do _like someone..."

_"Hey, there you are!" _Akihiko ran up to her with a smile on his face, though sweating like crazy.

"I was looking for you in the dorm, but couldn't find you."

"Sorry about that." Daedalus chuckled, quickly hiding the bag behind her back.

"You're still up for today, right?" He asked her hopefully.

"Of course." She nodded, "I was kinda waiting for you to come over."

"Right, let's go in shall we?" He asked, grabbing her hand tightly as they walked through the crowd.

Daedalus walked through the tough crowd with Akihiko by her side. In the actual restaraunt, everyone began to stare at her. She cuddled a bit into Akihiko's side, which made her blush from the fear of being kicked out of the store. Once they got to the seats, he simply said: "Two, please."

Daedalus simply sat on the seat to the right of him, and looked around the store. It was dimmed when it came to lighting, and you saw tons of teenagers talking to one another while eating. She felt really bad for Akihiko having to order for her, but at the same time happy because this could be a chance to reconnect again. As she looked around, she never noticed Akihiko staring at her.

"So," He patted her head gently, "Been having fun?"

"You could say that.." She said softly. She still wasn't used to the "talking out loud" thing. "I've had some fun while living here."

"Hey, it'll get better." Akihiko smiled, "Sadly, I won't be joining you in a year or so at Gekkoukan."

"Eh? Why?" She asked with sadness in her tone.

"I'm a senior, now." He replied, "I'll be out of high school by the time you become one. I'll be leaving the dorm, and so will Mitsuru."

"Wow..." Daedalus was amazed, but as soon as the bowl plopped down, she looked at it with hunger in her eyes.

It had mostly onion and beef in it. Then again, it wasn't called the Beef Bowl Shop for nothing. As Daedalus picked up her chopsticks, she saw how delicious it looked with the soup drizzled over every bit of the soup. She attempted to use the chopsticks as well as Akihiko did, but they usually slipped out her hand.

"Ergh..." She grunted in annoyance.

"Don't worry about it." Akihiko grabbed her hand and placed them to fit into his palm perfectly. He helped her maneuver the fingers to move around the sticks to pick something up. "First, you go like this..."

"O-Oh.." Daedalus was following his movements with her eyes. She didn't even realize he had placed some meat into her mouth before setting the sticks down.

"T-Thanks..." She spoke after what seemed like a while to her.

"Don't worry about it." Akihiko finished up his bowl of beef while Daedalus was still eating hers. His eyes traveled a bit, and found her bag on the floor. "What's that?"

"Um..." She froze for a second. How was she going to tell her own friend about a random book she got out of nowhere? "Well..."

"Hey, Dae, don't worry." He was looking at her with concern. "You don't _have _to tell me, alright?"

"Okay." She nodded, deciding to change the subject. "I've heard you have gotten better at boxing."

"Yeah, I'm the captain of the boxing team at school." He explained. "I've been getting stronger for quite awhile."

"You're really tough, Hiko-kun." She ate a little before continuing, "I wish I was as strong as you..."

"Boxing isn't the only way to get strong, you know." He replied, staring at her. "Just keep training at you know where."

It took a few minutes to take the hint, but she got it quickly. Tartarus was a dangerous place, and she needed to get stronger in order to fend off and protect herself and others. If she didn't get through there the first time, she sure wouldn't get through there a second time.

Daedalus began thinking about how she could fight better, when she suddenly heard whispers.

_'Hey, is that his girlfriend?' _One person said.

_'She's pretty cute.'_ Another replied.

_'If only I could date her...' _The last one she heard whine.

She blushed deeply, and looked down at her shoes again. She shuffled in her seat a few times, but just left the comments at that. Looking down at her bowl that was now half empty, Akihiko began to say something.

"Is something wrong?" He asked, "Don't like it?"

"It's not that..." She chuckled. "I just don't eat alot, that's all."

"You need to eat more." He replied, sighing. "Eating a good dinner would be good for you."

"Well, I didn't eat breakfast or lunch..." She chuckled lightly again. "This is the only meal I've had today. I don't get hungry til' late afternoon, it's what I've grown accustomed to."

"Seriously?" His eyes widened, "Agh, Dae... You know better."

"Sorry, Hiko-kun.." Daedalus looked down again.

"Don't worry, alright? Just eat as much as you can." Akihiko replied as he left his bowl there. "By the way, a new person's gonna be at the dorm tonight. We should start heading back in a few."

"Well, I'm done anyways, so we can go back now." She replied, swallowing the last of the meat he had in her mouth.

...

Daedalus held onto Akihiko's arm tightly as they walked out the door. Daedalus was tired now, and was holding her bag in the free hand. It was a long day, since she reunited with family and such. However, she had fun hanging out with Akihiko, since she never really had anything to do.

"The last train of the night should be at the station by now, let's go." He told her.

"Right." She nodded, still holding onto him.

Daedalus felt a smile creep onto her face. It was dark, so he couldn't really see her brighten up due to the day she had of excitement. They rode back to the Dorm and looked at the night sky when suddenly--

_"Hey, well if it isn't Akihiko-senpai and Dae-Dae!" _Junpei's annoying, yet excited voice echoed as they walked out the room. "See, I knew you guys were a couple."

"J-Junpei-san!" Daedalus' face turned bright red, as she let go of Akihiko's arm and turned her face. "W-What are you-"

"I was just about to go and hang out at the mall for awhile, but apparently I just got some action!" He snaked his way through to Dae and held her in a certain angle to lock eyes onto his. "So, tell me: How was the date?"

"W-What D-Da-"

"There wasn't one." Akihiko replied blantly. "We just met up while walking home. She stayed out stargazing."

_'He didn't!' _Daedalus looked at him with widened eyes, but then just went with it. "S-Stop assuming things."

"Yeah, like I'm gonna believe that." Junpei replied with a devilish smirk, and let her go. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow morning or tonight, possibly. Depends if Minato says we go to Tartarus."

"Right." Akihiko replied, "Come on, Dae. Let's go inside."

"R-Right." She nodded, walking right past Junpei.

...

_"Hello!" _A small, content voice replied. Daedalus looked around and saw a boy sitting on the chair Akihiko usually sat in. He had brown hair with bangs and some spikes sticking out to cover a bit of his face. His face was filled with innocence due to his brown eyes, and wore an orange jacket. He also wore a white polo and black shorts with some regular tennis shoes.

He jumped off the chair. "Nice to meet you, I'm Ken Amada. I'll be staying here for awhile, and I'll try not to get in the way."

"Nice to meet you, too." Daedalus scratched the back of her head nervously. "I'm Daedalus Tavi, but you can just call me Dae. It's what everyone calls me, anyways.."

"I see." Ken smiled, "Well, Dae-san. I'll try not to interfere."

"Don't worry about it." She yawned for a minute. "I think I'm retiring for the night. I need the sleep."

"Yes, that last battle forced you to keep going." Mitsuru replied, "Take this moment to rest."

"Thank you." Daedalus bowed. "Good night, everyone."

* * *

**_I blame my friend, Elexis, for making me do a "Lovey-Dovey" moment with Akihiko and my OC. Well, at least you get to know why the shop and the shopkeeper were of importance._**

**_Persona 3 belongs to ATLUS, while Daira & Daedalus Tavi belong to me._**

**_Next chapter features Daedalus' Darker Half, and a problem that comes up.  
_**


	9. Messages of the Unknown

**Chapter 9 - Messages of the Unknown.**

The Dark Hour came around once again. Daedalus was scrunching her face in her sleep. She began to shuffle and stiffen, soon clutching her chest as if Death was appearing and wanted to take her away quickly. She began to whimper, and whimper, which made her just want to look into her own head.

...

Dark Daedalus (as we should call her), was tainting the vines of her forest that Daedalus went into before with darkness. She used the vines to whip thoughts that came into Daedalus' mind away to create a mind-numbing nightmare.

"Attack the image of Iori, _now!_" She snapped her fingers and the vines quickly went to the illusion and destroyed it.

"It's fun tampering with this girl's mind." She chuckled, cocking her head to the right. "The vines are doing a good job of tramatizing this girl. If I can only get to her a little quicker, I can control her and manipulate her friends quickly. I can get stronger. Damn that Apsaras..."

She punched the dirt and made it crumble. Her personality told her she wasn't to be messed with.

"Damn it all!" She replied, "If Apsaras just left me alone to kill of Io, I could've won... I could've had it all..."

She screamed in aggravation and sent her vines to bring out all the stress. Within seconds, she heard a scream and thud from afar and snapped her fingers to bring back whatever the vines caught.

Within the dark forest was a bloody beaten up Daedalus Tavi. She had tears streaming down her cheeks as she was brought up to face her Darker Half.

"What're _you _doing here?" Dark Daedalus scowled in annoyance, making the vines let go of her lighter half.

"I-I...heard screaming..." She whispered so softly, that the other couldn't hear her. She swallowed before continuing. "I...I was wondering if you were okay..."

"You should be worrying about your own health." She replied, taming the vines by touching them so delicately. They went back to standing still while Dark Daedalus walked up to her and let her fingers run across the small face filled with bloodshed.

"D-Don't..." Daedalus hissed as the pain touched her deeply. She winced, then wimpered. The blood dripped off her arms, but she wasn't suffering from fatigue. She knew these wounds were only in her dream, and that's about it. However, Dark made every wound more severe.

"Hmph, I only worry about you because you are my vessel. Why do you act so kind torwards others even though you'll be backstabbed?" Dark Daedalus stepped back and turned her head away.

"B-Because..." Daedalus got back up, "I-I want to protect others."

"...Do you have a reason for fighting? Or is that the same one?" Dark pinned her down and looked at her straight in the face.

"S-Same reason." Daedalus began to struggle to get out of the grasp. "P-Please get off of me..."

_"Death is near..."_

...

"D-Did you hear that?" Daedalus slid out from under her darker half as they were listening to the noise.

"Death is near, hm?" She walked over to echoing voice with Daedalus shivering right behind her.

"W-What do they mean?" Daedalus shivered greatly. She hated being in the swamp, but to hear a voice.

"Someone's trying to kick into your head, Tavi." Dark crossed her arms. "Your fear is kicking in. It's trying to block the incoming voices out."

_"Joining us will make your life easier. In fact, I think you may feel... _safe _with us.." _The voice continued in a somewhat seductive voice.

Daedalus covered her ears in fear. The voice sounded dangerously too good to be true, and she didn't want to be mind controlled. Besides, what if it wanted to hurt her friends in one way?

"Quit whining." Dark looked around, "I'm not forcing you to join."

"Y-You're not?" Daedalus looked at her in confusion after pulling her hands off her ears.

"No." Dark Daedalus shook her head in annoyance. "If I wanted you to join, don't you think I would've manipulated you to do so by now?"

"Uh, well-"

"Exactly. You're too dull." She began to walk off in the direction of the voice. "Whatever, the Dark Hour is nearing."

"Wait!" Daedalus held her hand out. "It's still last night?"

"No. I mean, your _boyfriend _here has been trying to wake you up since morning." Dark Daedalus replied facing her. "He barged into the room when he heard you screaming."

"I-I was screaming..?" Daedalus blushed at the thought, but blushed even harder when Dark Daedalus said Akihiko was her boyfriend. "I don't even know your name!"

"..Just call me Sesshou." She replied, walking off again from the forest draining away from life.

...

_"Daedalus, Daedalus!" _Akihiko was hold onto her hand tightly. It felt warm, and her face was sweating crazily from the dream. She was hot all over, and her breathing was raspy.

"Huh..?" She moaned and slightly opened her eyes, only to wake up to a gray blur. She felt around whatever was clutching her right hand, and saw that it was Akihiko sighing in relief and letting go. "Hiko-kun..?"

"Thank god, you're alright." He stood up onto his feet. "Everyone thought you were asleep for awhile, but then they noticed you were still in your room. They came into this room for awhile due to Mitsuru's permission, but could never shake you. I wasn't supposed to come in here, but Mitsuru says I should take you with me tonight."

"Why and Where?" She stood up, clutching her head that began to hurt. "Wait, is it the Dark Hour now?"

"Exactly." He replied, tossing her the glove and SEES band. "A Shadow has appeared by Tartarus, and we need to go find it."

"_What?! _Where's it at!?" She jumped up from the bed (despite the pain she felt) and put on the glove. She was in Pajamas, but didn't care at the moment. If Akihiko wanted her to go, she'd go and _fast._

"At the Nagaraki Shrine." He replied, "It somehow appeared out of Tartarus, but we don't know why. Either way, we need to catch it _fast._"

"Let's go through the window!" She slipped on her socks and pushed open the window of her room. "It'll be quicker, just call Mitsuru-senpai so she knows I'm up."

Without another word, Daedalus jumped out the window and caught the room before falling. She then made her way down and slid off to the ground almost falling on her face. Akihiko climbed down right behind her, and walked to where she stood.

"You alright?" He asked.

"No time to worry about me, let's go to the Nagaraki Shrine." Daedalus began to run down the street with Akihiko right behind her to follow. Daedalus didn't like the fact that she had to walk through Tartarus like an idiot, but if the Shadow was weak, she could beat it with her own hands.

...

"It's so dark here..." Daedalus began to slow down and look around the area. She didn't see anything until she heard whining coming from around the stairs.

"Did you hear that?" Akihiko stood in a battle stance.

"Yeah, I did..." Daedalus saw something red as she walked forward again. "I-Is that...?"

"Yeah, it's blood." Akihiko looked around the shrine. "Be cautious, alright?"

Daedalus began to tremble in her socks. She shivered because of the cool wind, but also because there was sight of blood. She really hated to see the solid red liquid around her... it gave her nausea and made her wanna barf.

The whine came again, and Daedalus jumped before running behind Akihiko. "I-It's coming from straight ahead!"

"Stay on guard, it's probably-" Akihiko saw something in the shadows with the object moving.

A bark was heard, and the sound that was made when a Shadow died occured.

"What the-"

"W-What was that..?" Daedalus' tiny fingers clenched Akihiko's shirt as they walked closer.

_"Awoooooo!" _A howl came from the shadow, and turned into a whimper like a normal dog. When Daedalus heard the whine, she ran up to where the object was and gasped lightly.

A perfect snow white Shiba Inu lay weakly in a pool of it's own blood. It's gorgeous red eyes looked up at Daedalus wearily as it set it's head down in it's paws. Daedalus choked back tears and bent down, besides the fact that the blood got onto her clothing.

"Oh my God, the dog!" She cried out with tears in the corners of her eyes now. She began to pet it and lift it's head up. "H-He's bleeding badly..."

"That dog..." Akihiko looked down at it, then took out his phone and tossed it to Daedalus. "Call the Control Room, they have to be there."

Daedalus quickly punched in each number while putting the phone on speaker. As soon as it stopped ringing, Fuuka picked up.

_"Yes, this is Fuuka." _She replied.

"W-We're here!" Daedalus choked, "I'm alright, but... I think you need to come here right away!"

_"What's wrong, Tavi?" _Mitsuru came onto the speaker now. "Is it a powerful one?"

"No, it's defeated." Akihiko replied for her, "It already was when we got here."

"What happened?"

"P-Please..." Daedalus began crying, "I wanna save this little fella if we can..."

Akihiko hung up as Daedalus covered her face to hide her tears. She looked through her hands and saw there were flowers, but she ignored them. She wailed silently as Akihiko began to pat her in the back for comfort. She hated seeing pain, especially to a dog as cute as him.

"I suggest you try using Dia.." He began, "Try to restore some of his energy."

"O-Okay..." She took out one of her Tarot Cards.

...

"_Koro-chan!" _Fuuka shouted from not too far as SEES ran up to them. Daedalus stopped healing the dog while Yukari and the bob-headed girl kneeled down to him.

"Are you okay, Koro-chan?!"

"You know this dog?" Mitsuru was interested.

"Yes, everyone around here does..." Fuuka replied, "Daedalus, this is Koromaru. We have to help him!"

"I wasn't able to stop most of the bleeding, but..." Daedalus replied, getting up to her feet. "At least, I tried to help him."

"He defeated that Shadow all by himself." Akihiko said to himself, "What a tough fighter.."

"Wait, so this _dog _is a Persona-user?!" Junpei replied. "And Daedalus, how in the hell did _you _get here?"

"Snuck out from my window." She tilted her head, but then turned to Aigis.

"He says, 'This is a place of peace, so I protected it.'"

"Those flowers..." Fuuka looked at them, "They must be for the priest who died in the accident."

"You did great, Dae." Yukari replied, "You had us worried with your unconciousness, but you seem fine from this view."

"I guess you could say it was a nightmare.." She scratched her head. _'Or was it..?"_

"He's really a rare breed." Akihiko replied.

"Let's report this to the Chairman." Mitsuru suggested, "We can finish it up from there. I'll arrange for a vet for the dog."

"I don't feel sleepy..." Daedalus replied, "I'm just gonna stay up in my room, if that's okay."

"It's fine by me, just be careful."

As everyone began to walk back, Daedalus stopped for a second.

"_...?!" _Her mind acted up again, as she saw her necklace glow brightly.

'_The Social Link for the Strength Arcana has begun...'_

The voice that had appeared all those other times... were they trying to tell her something? She couldn't finish her thought up, when Junpei looked back at her.

"_Hey, Dae-Dae!" _He called, "Aren't you coming?!"

"Huh?" She looked up, and looked around. "Oh... Yeah..."

"Are you sure you're alright?" He asked her, checking her head and everything. "You looked distant."

"I was just thinking about the dream... that's all..." Daedalus replied, beginning to walk again. However, she bit her lip and muttered something under her breath:

"_Sometimes, I wish it just _was _a dream..."_

_

* * *

_

**I apologize for the Short Chapter, but I didn't have many ideas here, especially with the Full Moon Chapter coming up~**

**Persona 3 (c) Atlus**

**Daedalus & Dark Daedalus (c) Me~**

**Thank you for reading~  
**


	10. Secrets Are Told

**Chapter 10 - Secrets Are Told.**

A few days passed and Daedalus was as dazed and confused as she was the first day she met SEES. Indeed, she had been training and she would hang out with all the guys. However, her nightmares continued to worsen, and she would wake up with sweat pouring from her face. The messages became clearer, and one even said the name "Strega." She still shuffled when she thought about the Full Moon coming up the next day, but she knew she had to face it and overcome her fears. She decided to keep the secrets to herself, so not many would worry. And going to Lolita Gothix for the day seemed to keep her in attempting high spirits.

"Messages in your head, huh?" Daira was sipping a smoothie while listening to her family member. "Awkward, but could it have any connection with SEES?"

"It shouldn't." Daedalus replied, "And I don't wanna tell them because I'm afraid they'll run away from me.."

"Oh, quit worrying." Daira replied, "You'll be fine, honest. I can't help you much, but I wanna wish you the best of luck."

"Uh.. Thanks, I guess." She was confused again. What did she mean by 'Good Luck?'

...

Daedalus returned to the dorm and waved hello to all the members. She began reading a book she bought with the money Daira lent her. She had left the Love Book hidden somewhere in her room, and there was no way in hell was she digging it out _just _to read it in public. However, many things bothered her. First off: Why the heck did she get those voices? Why was her Darker Half giving her nightmares, and what did that message mean?

"Dae-chan, is something wrong?" Fuuka looked at her in concern, "You look...sad."

"I'll be alright, really." She smiled sadly, "Alot on my mind, but I'll be okay."

"It's been cause of those dreams, hasn't it?" Akihiko asked her, "How's the condition."

"They've been getting worse..." She replied, putting the book down in sadness. "I try not to think about them, but somehow I think they're trying to tell me something."

"Tavi, will you be able to pull through?" Mitsuru questioned. "Every time you have a nightmare, you wake up weak and in pain."

"Senpai..." Daedalus looked at her carefully, trying to examine the expression. Obviously, she looked worried, but it seemed like she was hiding something away from Daedalus. "I'll be alright, I promise."

"Daedalus-san, are you sure?" Ken was walking to her direction in worry. "Don't push yourself."

"Don't worry, Ken-kun." She smiled at him, "I'll be alright."

"Understood." He smiled right back at her and began to walk off again.

Daedalus yawned, "I'm going to try to get some sleep tonight. Hopefully, all will go well."

"Alright." Yukari smiled, "See you, Dae."

...

Daedalus plopped onto her bed tossing the book to the side. She did a deep sigh and began to look at her necklace. Then, she picked up the photo from her dresser; The one photo that Yukari picked up when she first came into the dorm.

"Why can't we go back to old times...?" She asked herself, "Even then, did the two have Persona? If so, I wonder why they didn't tell me..."

She winced a bit as she turned over and thought to herself.

"I wonder what's up with Hiko-kun, though." She asked herself, "He acts all... weird when Ken Amada is mentioned. Did something happen?"

She placed her picture back on the shelf, and heaved another great sigh.

"Why am I so difficult?" She groaned, "I'm such a burden to SEES, it's a wonder how I ever ended up here in the first place."

She stayed silent for a few seconds.

"Oh, that's right. My parents are dead..." She sighed, "My home's gone... and the only people I have from my childhood are Hiko-kun and Daira..."

She began to look at the evoker that was lightly placed onto her desk with her band and glove.

"The Evoker lets you summon a Persona, huh?" She picked up her pillow and stuffed her face into it. "Like I'd let Dark Daedalus even get _out _of my mind..."

And with that, Daedalus fell into a deep sleep in her mind again.

...

The next morning, Daedalus woke up with a confused look on her face. For one thing, Dark Daedalus' forest was tamed, and never attacked her in the first place. The second thing was, that Dark Daedalus wasn't even _there _like she normally was. As she changed out into her normal dressy clothing, she knew she should stay at the Dorm and conserve her energy for the Full Moon tonight. As she began to stretch, a knock was heard on her door.

"Who is it?" She called. Her trust with other people was getting better.

"It's Yukari," The reply was simple, and nothing worried, "Can I come in?"

"Oh, Yukari-san!" Daedalus jumped up, and ran to the door as quick as possible. "Of course."

She opened the door greeting Yukari with a gentle smile forming on her face. "Good Morning."

"Morning, Dae-chan." She smiled. "How are you?"

"Just fine, thanks." She replied, half-lying while going b ack to the bed. "Just thinking about what to do today."

"You _are _staying at the Dorm, right?" Yukari leaned against the wall while keeping her attention focused on the white-haired girl.

"Yeah, I don't want anything to screw us up on this mission." She replied, "I mean, it's the first Full Moon that I'm going to _actually _be fighting in. I'll try to do my best, and-"

"Dae, calm down!" Yukari walked up to her and sat by her on the bed. "You'll be fine. You do well in Tartarus, and we appreciate your support. I just wanted to tell you something... Something that I somehow got out of Mitsuru-senpai."

"What? What's wrong?" Daedalus was worried with the face that Yukari made.

"Well..." Yukari sighed, "Senpai asked Fuuka if she could do a Scan for any Shadows outside Tartarus and..."

"What? What's wrong?!" She asked again, even more worried than before.

"Fuuka found one, but the thing was it was _inside _the dorm... coming from _your _room." She replied, "We looked inside, and saw nothing. However, when Fuuka scanned again, she felt...the energy come from you."

"What are you saying..." Daedalus was going to say something else, but kept her mouth shut.

"Your Darker Half is not just a Persona..." Yukari took a deep breath, "It's a Shadow, too..."

Daedalus wouldn't reply, she couldn't. Yukari saw tears well up in her eyes as Daedalus tried to take the sentence in. A Shadow... was Daedalus the enemy now? She didn't know, and she felt the Darkness in her growing as if it loved to see her pain. Her necklace even turned black for a minute. At last, her tears flowed down her cheeks and she began to sniffle a bit. When Yukari wanted to hold her hand in comfort, she pulled it away.

"Dae-"

"I... _hate _myself..." She whispered, getting up from the bed with her head down. "I... hate myself for having this spirit..."

Yukari watched her every move, and saw her hand reach for the Evoker. As Daedalus picked it up and aimed it to her head, Yukari's eyes widened.

"And... if I'm going down..." She continued, "Everyone's going down with me..!"

"Daedalus, don't do it!" Yukari tackled her down to the ground and the gun slipped out of her hand as she tried to fight Yukari. "You said your Darker Half may hurt everyone, why do you insist on using the Evoker?!"

"Because, I know everyone hates me!" She screamed, "I know everyone in SEES hates me... just because I'm _different_. My father was right, I _am _a demon..."

"That's not true, darn it!" Yukari was still on top of her, "If SEES hated you, they wouldn't have accept you, right? No one hates you... No one could _ever _hate you here!"

"Don't you get it, Takeba?!" Her screams grew louder. It was the first time she ever used Yukari's last name. "I'm a monster! If I couldn't be accepted by my family, what makes you think I can be accepted _here_?"

_"Dae-chan!" _Fuuka shot open the door with Junpei and Mitsuru behind her. "Dae-chan... Yukari-chan... what's going on?"

"Dae tried to use her Evoker right now.." Yukari rolled off of her.

Daedalus got up from the floor and pushed open the window by her bed.

"Dae-Dae, what the hell?!" Junpei was even freaked, "Why are you trying to do that?"

As Daedalus knelt down so she could jump, she turned back to the four.

_"...Because I know I'm hated by everyone..."_

With that, she leapt out the window and slid off the railings. As she ran away from the Dorm, tears began to fall to the ground with every step she took to go somewhere far off from the Dorm itself. She knew she could not get away from the city, but she _did _know that she could escape somewhere quiet.

...

"So that's what happened..." Fuuka replied after listening to Yukari's story. All of the members had gotten together to talk about what happened in the morning with the Evoker, and how she reacted in front of them. "Dae-chan..."

"She was going to try to use her Evoker to _kill _us!" Yukari stomped around. "How are we supposed to deal with _that?_"

"She doesn't have the heart to kill." Akihiko replied, "Though she kills Shadows because she has to, she could never kill the people around her. Her darker side might, but only _she _has the will to stop it."

"From this moment, she'll be able to fight." Mitsuru said, "However, we will have to ask her to come back with us. The Full Moon's tonight and..."

"I don't really want to see her like we saw her in that Alley..." Minato finally spoke. "Just to see her ganged up by Shadows? Really?"

"It's all a surprise to us... That outburst." Mitsuru replied, "I still can't help but think that the Darker Half told her she was hated by us."

"To tell you the truth..." Junpei began, "I didn't really like Dae when she first came in, but now..."

"She seemed so distant..." Yukari replied, "But then again, that's probably because she was never outside her home that much.."

"From what I have researched, Daedalus seems to become ill easily and is very fragile when dealing with other people." Aigis spoke now, "It is still unsure on what her feelings truly are because of this."

"What do you mean by that?" Akihiko asked Aigis.

"She hides her feelings under smiles, and does not like to reveal anything about her past." She replied, "It is even possible she may know what she is fighting for."

"And that might lead to Dae-chan being confused!" Fuuka replied, "I get it now! Daedalus-chan may doubt us because of how she feels about herself! No wonder she tries so hard to cheer up. She's drowned in so much sorrow."

"Arisato, can you go after her?" Mitsuru turned to him, "It is only noon, but we need her for tonight's operation. Can you do this?"

"Of course, Senpai." Minato replied. "I'll go right now."

With that, Minato was about to run out the door, but as soon as he tried to open it, there she was.

Daedalus' face was hidden beneath her hair. She was lightly scratched up, possibly from falling, and was a little weak from what happened.

"Dae-chan!" Fuuka ran up to her, "My goodness, are you alright?"

"..." She didn't bother answering, but decided to start walking up the stairs. That's when Akihiko blocked her from moving anymore.

"Daedalus, at least speak to us." Akihiko pleaded lightly, "You're only hurting yourself doing this."

"..."

"Tavi, if you're not going to speak, at least tell me this." Mitsuru began, making Daedalus turn to her direction. "Are you willing to fight?"

She still refused to answer in words, but nodded as she pushed Akihiko slightly to move him so she could go to her own room.

...

The Dark Hour came sooner than expected, and Daedalus grabbed her glove and band from the room. Indeed, she shivered when she heard the name "SEES" now, but what's done is done and nothing can be changed. Besides, didn't she once tell herself she was safe here?

"Well, it's a full moon once again." Ikutsuki was talking to the group. "It's good to see you out here, Daedalus."

Daedalus didn't hide her face under the hair anymore, but turned her head away so she wouldn't speak.

"Any luck, Yamagishi?" Mitsuru turned to Fuuka.

"Yes, I've located it... and this time, it's not just an ordinary one." Fuuka answered back. Daedalus was paying attention more to her thoughts than anyone else.

"Nice." said Akihiko, who, -despite the situation-, was hyped up to fight any Shadow coming their way.

"It's by the deserted houses in the northern part of Iwatodai." Fuuka looked puzzled for a minute, though. "But, there is one thing that's strange... It seems like it's underground, almost 10 meters."

"In a basement probably?" Yukari questioned.

"According to my records, there is no structure in the area that matches the criteria given. However, in the past there was an underground facility by the military." Aigis replied.

"What the- Seriously?" Yukari asked.

"Well, the information wasn't updated in a decade, but the area was uploaded into her memory bank." Ikutsuki told them.

"Correct." Aigis replied.

"Shouldn't we update it?" Junpei asked.

"Though, how _can _we interpret this?" Akihiko asked.

"The situation is unclear. Is it possible to wait until we arrive to deploy?" Mitsuru asked the whole group.

"Agreed."

"Understood." Aigis replied.

"Let's go then." Mitsuru said.

...

The place they went into was indeed an old base. The doors they had gone through squeaked horridly, which hurt Daedalus' ears at one point. However, they were all looking around and checking it out. Daedalus just straightened out her dress nervously, waiting for something to happen.

"The target should be around here..." Fuuka looked around.

_"Well done..." _Someone was applauding, and all the group saw were two people walking out to face them. Both of them looked like in their mid-teens, but one seemed to have a deeper voice than all of them. The one with the deeper voice had white hair _just _like Daedalus, with golden eyes that could paralyze many. He was shirtless, with tattoos running over his arms and a black band on his hair. Ripped blue jeans with a red cloak standing from the back pocket, and he seemed to have a gun strapped to his belt. Plus, he had raggety shoes.

The other one was much different looking than him. He had blue hair that faced one side, and wore glasses that looked more like ski goggles. His green leather jacket had belts strapped along it, and he looked like some sort of kid who loved toying with destruction. Daedalus wondered what he held in the suitcase and black pockets on his pants, but she decided not to ask.

"This is the first time we've met like this, correct?" The man asked.

"That voice..." Daedalus finally opened her mouth, but came to her senses when she realized what was going on. "Wait a minute, aren't you-"

"I don't know who they are, but Lucia didn't sense anything until a minute ago!" Fuuka replied.

"I am Takaya." The older one said, "The one standing by me is Jin. We're known to people as Strega."

"I should've known..." Daedalus mumbled, which made everyone turn their attention to her.

"What?" Fuuka looked at her, "What do you mean?"

"My nightmares..." She replied, "I never told you guys, but... they involved the word 'Strega' in them. I understand how it all connects."

"We've been keeping an eye on you all... Daedalus mostly, but we hear you're trying to save the world. We're putting an end to the dream now.." Takaya continued, "This land crawls with sin... And Daedalus, we know how worried you feel around your 'friends.' Tartarus is still towering as normal as possible..."

"W-What does that have to do with anything?!" Daedalus shouted at them, "W-Why were you invading my dreams that whole time?!"

"Come now, isn't it obvious?" Takaya smirked wryly. "Don't you _know _that you went overboard _due _to Tartarus forming? You did kill your own parents, you know.."

SEES had every single person gasp as they saw Daedalus stunned at what he said.

"Y-You're kidding..." Daedalus replied. "No, from what I know my parents died of a murder!"

"And that murder was all done by you..." Takaya replied, "See, we've been watching you ever since you appeared to us with your 'Persona.' You're quite interesting."

"..." Daedalus backed up and stayed quiet.

"Why the hell do you wanna stop us anyway?!" Junpei asked.

"Simple. _Our _power will disappear once the Dark Hour does. We can't let that happen." Jin answered.

"You're Persona-users, too?!" Mitsuru was shocked to see this happening.

"Only a few wield the power of a Persona, and the Dark Hour is ours to explore alone..." Takaya replied, "It's like the Tower of Demise."

"You're crazy!" Yukari shouted, "Alot of horrible incidents will happen if we don't stop the Shadows!"

"There will be disasters even if the Shadows aren't here..." Takaya replied, "Besides, isn't your little _friend _here part of the Dark Hour? And aren't you acknowledging the power you were given?"

"You think she likes this?!" Yukari shouted, "You think _I _like this?!"

"How about the rest of you? Do you want to return to being 'normal?'" He asked the others.

Akihiko turned his head away, and Fuuka responded with "I don't enjoy this at all!"

"Justice is only an excuse, you hypocrites!" Jin told them, "To hell with you all!"

They began to walk off, but before then Jin had given the door a small (and hard) kick to close the doors. The group had been trapped inside, and Akihiko was trying to budge it back open.

_"Dammit!" _He shouted, "We're stuck in here..."

"We should deal with the Shadow first." Aigis recommended.

"You're right," Yukari replied, "They'll win if we keep freaking out like this."

"The Shadow's begun to move, I sense it now!" Fuuka shouted.

"Okay, let's stay on track and have our leader pick who's going down." Mitsuru replied. Though, she noticed the grim expression on Daedalus' face after learning everything.

"Tavi, it'll be alright." Mitsuru replied, "You're with _us _now, not them."

Minato finally decided on who he was taking down with him. "Akihiko, Daedalus, and Aigis."

"Understood." Everyone but Daedalus answered, who just slightly nodded.

* * *

_**So, there you have it: Daedalus gains depression in this chapter, and it's really shook SEES up in so many ways. We also meet the group Strega, which admits they've been stalking Daedalus!**_

_**Thanks for reading~**_

_**Persona 3 (C) ATLUS**_

_**Daedalus (C) Me~  
**_


	11. Depression Trades for Power

**Chapter 11 - Depression Trades for Power.**

The three followed Minato down into the supposed base. Daedalus hated the fact thaat it was filled with corpses and tons of paper beside them noting what had happened in the place. However, she examined the walls around her so she could note to herself on what had happened a few years back.

"The Shadow is down that way!" Fuuka shouted as they got to a dark hole. "Still... to have tread marks in a weapon depot."

"We'll probably figure it out once we get there." Akihiko replied.  
"Is everyone ready?" Minato asked them

"Affirmative." Aigis replied.

"Yes." said Akihiko, and Daedalus just nodded.

They began to run on inside the hole only to run into a tank that's moving on it's own accord. With the wings on the Turret, and the bottom tank moving aimlessly, Everyone got ready no matter what.

"So _that's _why the tread marks were there..." Fuuka replied. "The tank is it's armor!"

As soon as she said that, the tank turned around to face the team.

"Here it comes..." Daedalus murmured.

As soon as she got her glove on and into stance, Fuuka messaged them.

"It's Arcana is Justice... Wait, it's Chariot? What's going-" Fuuka was concerned. "This is all confusing. There's two entities I'm sensing!"

"We'll just have to find out." Minato replied as Fuuka tuned out on them. "Akihiko, Daedalus can you guys support us?"

"Of course." Akihiko replied.

"Aigis, please go Full Assault." Minato commanded.

"Understood."

Minato flipped out his Evoker and shot it. Daedalus learned from him personally, that he was able to summon more than one Persona. She thought it was pretty cool, but in a way she knew he didn't like it.

_"Pyro Jack!" _He shouted. The little pumpkin with the lantern appeared and used the move Agilao on the cannon.

"Summoning Persona!" Aigis shouted, letting out Palladion to use Kill Rush. However, she easily missed on it.

"Let's _go_!" Akihiko said to himself while summoning Polydeuces. Tarunda had somehow dazed it, but it's power probably lowered.

_"Garu!" _Daedalus cried out as she used the blast of wind against it. Very weak, but it was a start for her.

Within minutes, the tank used Kill Rush as well, but hit Minato quickly.

"..." Daedalus didn't say much, but deep down she _knew _she was slightly concerned. Minato ignored the pain and used some Medical Powder on himself.

"Proceeding." Aigis summoned Palladion again to use the same attack as before, only to have it land a critical hit on the enemy.

"That didn't finish it off? Weird..." Fuuka replied on speaker.

_"Rakunda!" _Akihiko shouted while shooting himself with the Evoker. Now it's defense was down, and it should be easier to attack it.

_"Dia!" _Daedalus aimed it torwards Aigis. She learned from experience that if Aigis loses stamina from her moves, she would need to heal quicker.  
That's when the Shadow used Poison Mist. Everyone but Daedalus was able to dodge it quickly, and that's what got her weak. She started wheezing, since she knew the poison would affect her if she didn't do anything.

_"Lamia!" _Minato shouted again. Daedalus was pretty surprised on how he could change Personas so easily. It used Kill Rush (again with the Kill Rush!) and attacked the tank without a problem. Aigis also repeated her move, and attacked with indeed Full Assault.

"Dae!" Akihiko caught her attention by throwing a Dis-Poison at her. She nodded back in gratitude, and got her strength back.

_"Dia!" _Daedalus aimed it at Minato to heal him. However, her eyes began to widen as she saw what came next.

...

The Tank began to split apart. The actual gun being held with the Turret flying, and the actual tank part standing up.

"It split into two?!" Fuuka and Daedalus said in unison.

"Oh, that's why. The vehicle and turret are different. The turret is Justice while the vehicle is Chariot." Fuuka informed them. "They're coming up with a coordinating strategy, too. Stay alert at all times!"

"Fuuka, please scan the Justice-type Shadow." Minato asked.

"Of course. I'll scan it and try to see what's up with it." Fuuka replied, getting off the speaker again.

While she was doing that Minato continued to attack.

_"Swift Strike!" _Aigis shouted while summoning. Both Shadows were immediately attacked.

"Okay! I've gotten it's results. It's strong against Light!" Fuuka replied.

"My turn." Akihiko commanded Polydeuces to use Rakunda again, but on Chariot.

_"Media!" _Daedalus shouted to make the glove glow, but as she was using Media, the turret turned to her immediately.

"Look out!" Minato gasped, but as soon as Daedalus was able to dodge the attack, the turret knocked her to the side. She rolled onto the ground and stayed there with her scratches from before turning into slight cuts. Blood lightly dripped down from one of the scratches on her arm. She struggled to get up, but the Chariot Shadow tackled her back down.

"Dae-Dae!" Akihiko ran up to her as quick as he could, and saw how she was clutching her stomach. Mitsuru was wrong, she couldn't fight this Operation.

"..." She picked herself back up, slightly struggling on whether she was capable of fighting or not.

"Daedalus, are you alright?" Minato asked her, but she didn't answer. Instead, she just backed away from the group. "Daedalus...?"

She turned her head away and closed her eyes. The next thing Minato saw was all of his team being knocked down (except Daedalus, of course).

"Daedalus, please..." Minato was barely standing up now, "Help us..."

The Justice Arcana kept picking at Minato like crazy. She just tightly squeezed her eyes shut so she could block out all the sounds and see nothing but darkness.

_'They can handle themselves...' _Her Darker Half told her within the mind, _'They're trying to make a fool out of you.'_

Daedalus chose to believe the Dark besides the fact that she didn't like her being in the mind. However, deep down in her heart she knew they really needed help.

"Daedalus-chan, please!" Fuuka shouted. "They need you!"

_'They aren't your friends... Haven't you heard of betrayal?' _Dark Daedalus continued to swarm in her head, leaving Daedalus in a burl of thoughts.

The Shadows began to attack even more, soon knocking them in the stomach. Aigis' system had turned off due to too much damage.

"Dae-chan..." Akihiko was barely on his knees now. "Can't you help us?"

She stayed silent as the turret aimed at Minato while he was down.

"Daedalus, please!" Akihiko shouted, "If you don't help, Minato will _die_."

"...!" Daedalus snapped out of it and looked at the turret that was now about to pierce Minato in the body.

In less than a second, a sound was made, and dust covered the place up quickly.

...

_"Minato!" _Akihiko shouted, "Minato, please be alright!"

Akihiko looked around for the team, now the dust was clearing away for them all, and Akihiko's eyes widened at what he saw.

"D-Dae..." Minato was looking up at Daedalus, who was blocking the pierce attack with Orpheus: Minato's Persona.

"W-What's _Orpheus _doing under _her _control!" He asked them.

"I..." Daedalus turned away, "I learned a new ability. I can copy half of a Persona's strength to save you guys..."

"Dae..." Akihiko just stared at her in sympathy.

Orpheus disappeared from her, and she began to charge up her power.

_"Recarm!" _She shouted as she aimed torwards Aigis.

"System Rebooted." She began to say as she stood up. "Daedalus-san, I thank you."

"There isn't any time for that!" She replied, _"Persona Copy!"_

She snapped her fingers and she felt part of her inner soul change. However, that had her stand in a defense position to save the team.

The tank became one again, and waited for the team's moves. Daedalus had a determined look that showed she was afraid of many things... but not the battle she was facing then.

"Lock-On!" Aigis shouted, blasting the monster with her guns.

"Change of plans..." Minato got up and wiped the dust of his pants, "Daedalus, go Full Assault!"

"But, Minato-san-"

"No buts!" Minato shouted to her, "Hurry, fight as much as you can."

"Y-Yessir." Her glove lit up with a shining light. _"Garu!"_

"Orpheus!" Minato summoned his Persona while Daedalus was thinking of a strategy.

Daedalus knew which Persona she copied, and it was able to slice it's statistics in half ot help her. However, the enemy never knows what Persona she chose, so she'd have to go in a certain pattern.

The united tank began to use Kill Rush on Dae, when she opened her hand.

_"Persona: Release!" _She shouted, opening up her palm to reveal a spinning Arcana Card. "The Chariot: Palladion!"

Palladion's image appeared in front of all of them and used Swift Strike to counterattack. Daedalus closed her fist again.

"Do you guys have an idea on how to fight this thing?!" Daedalus was running around to dodge the shots it was taking at her. "I can try to distract it while you guys do _something_!"

"I suggest we try to weaken it while they're seperated." Akihiko implied, "We could try weakening it now, but it'll take awhile."

"Kuh!" Daedalus was knocked to the side after she got too close to it. "Hurry!"

Within minutes, the Tank split apart again and both aimed at Daedalus.

"I'm dying..." She whispered, "I'm dying and I know it..."

"Daedalus!" Akihiko shouted.

"I-It hurts..." Daedalus whispered with tears slightly falling, "I-Is this what Death feels like...? Is this why people fear it..?"

She closed her eyes to wait for the end that was coming torwards her.

_"Kree!" _A screech was heard from in front of her. Her tears slid down her face as she saw the Shadow fade into the Darkness that she didn't want to see. However, she watched as the dark particles disappeared in thin air...

"D-Dae..." Minato ran up to her and held her by the shoulders.

Daedalus shivered in fear, her eyes widened and scared. She was whimpering now. She wasn't scared due to being hurt...but the fact that there was a pained feeling inside her while it was dying. If only she helped before the incident, none of it would've happened the way it did...

She acted like such a jerk in the beginning of the battle, but once she found trust in SEES... it was too late for her to stop severe damage.

"Mitsuru?" Akihiko was calling her now, "The Shadow's gone..."

Daedalus was scared of herself now. How... How in the world, could she feel sympathy for the _Shadows_?

Without noticing, Daedalus had an unusual scar on her right arm that was glowing a dark purple.

Akihiko sighed, then picked up Dae onto his back as she was shivering in fear.

_Mission Complete... and _not _in the best way..._

_

* * *

_

**Wasn't really expecting it to be as short as my first few chapters, but I'm not really good at writing Fight Scenes. I'm going to try and improve though, so it won't be so...short.**

**Persona 3 (C) ATLUS**

**Daedalus & Dark Daedalus (C) Me~  
**


	12. A Girl's Best Friend

**Chapter 12 - A **_**Girl's **_**Best Friend.**

Daedalus sat on the couch with her body curled up into a ball the next day. Indeed, she was happy she killed the Shadow, but with all the regret burled up into the body, she felt like dying. She hid her face into her legs, but wasn't crying anymore. Everyone just looked at her sympathy, especially after what happened. They didn't care about themselves, but they cared about Dae because she was always hurting mentally. Her face was too soft to not find adorable when it was depressed. However, now wasn't the time to admit that.

"Um, Dae-chan..." Fuuka looked at her in worry. "W-Will... Will you be alright?"

"If I only trusted what my heart believed... If only I knew what I was doing..." She sighed, "I would've been able to save you all instantly..."

"Why are you taking the blame so hard on yourself?" Minato asked her, "It wasn't your fault..."

"Yeah." Junpei tried giving a cheesy smile. "You weren't expected to do so much, especially since this was your first actual Full Moon Operation."

"I-I need to be braver..." She quivered, even though she wasn't in the mood for crying. "I-I was afraid and so overwhelmed about what my Darker Half was teasing me with... I forgot about my _own _beliefs."

No matter what they tried, she couldn't cheer herself up. She got off the couch and began to walk up the stairs to her dorm room. However, she couldn't concentrate while she was walking. All those friendly faces she saw in her mind turned into shadows as she began to focus on them. The only face that popped up in her face was Dark Dae. She even tried getting her mind to focus on the Amada kid, but that didn't work either. The scary part was: She could picture her face clearly.

...

Daedalus ended up falling asleep in her dreams that day. She navigated through the darkened forest like she normally did. The vines returned to attacking her again, but she was somehow able to dodge them unlike she normally did. Did her pain infuse her with this?

_"It's good to see you again." _Dark Daedalus was sitting on a throne with black vines curled around it. She looked at Daedalus with narrowed eyes, but then gave a nasty smirk.

"W-Why..?" Daedalus began to ask. "Why didn't you-"

"Why didn't I help you or Why I didn't mess with you the night before the Full Moon?" She stopped her before Dae could say anything. This left Dae pondering, which got her annoyed as she jumped off the throne with a grunt.

"You see, manipulating your mind is quite fun." She nodded, "However, you've helped me greatly with getting my revenge on Apsaras..."

"B-But, Apsaras can't-"

"Fool." Her Darker Half growled, "Apsaras was merely sealed into an Arcana Card. If I'm summoned during the Dark Hour, I can try to track the girl down and fight her. However, I don't want to at the moment, as collecting power from you is such an easy task."

"Y-You've been _using_ me!?" Daedalus shouted at her. "Is that... Is that why I'm so fun to mess with?"

"Your abilities allow me to collect all 22 Major Arcana Cards..." She walked up slowly to Daedalus as her hands cupped the cheeks and rubbed on them. "But, you think that just because you're with your little 'Boyfriend,' you think it's going to be easy to fight off Tartarus."

"H-He's not my boyfriend!" Daedalus blushed deeply, turning her head away from her counterpart's.

"Plus, I heard you found out all about me..." Dark Daedalus began, "Well, not all about me. But, at least some of it for a conversation. Like, I killed your parents and teleported you to this wretched city... or I'm a Shadow secretly consuming your mind..."

"Y-You..."

"However, I'm not really consuming it." She turned her back torwards Dae. "I'm just breaking all your dreams and turning them into your nightmares. I'm taking your memories and shattering them... I'm just _that _good!"

"..." Daedalus fell onto her knees as she heard this. "Y-You are...?"

"You really think I would help you forever?" She laughed loudly, having the crows that somehow lived there, fly onto her shoulder. "Cry me a river."

"Another thing, what's with Strega?!" She shouted, "How come you wanted me to join them?!"

"Fool." She scoffed, "If I wanted you to join them, I would've taken over your body and went for it right now. No, I simply got you to to go face-to-face so I can learn about them. Apparently, that didn't work."

"..." Daedalus turned away as well, "Are you going to continue to use me as your puppet? You're hurting my friends... you're hurting me..."

"What is it that makes you care about your friends so much?" Dark Daedalus was annoyed with her, "Whatever, I don't care right now... I'll somehow make you change."

"Hey, wait-!" She shouted at her, but ended up being ignored.

...

_"Arf, arf!" _Daedalus heard an unusual noise coming from the room as she opened her eyes. A dog was whimpering and staring straight into her face with worry.

"Huh?! _Koromaru_!?" She shouted in suprise, looking at the white dog that she remembered seeing at the shrine. How long was she out? When did he get back? "Y-You're so _cute!_"

"Thank goodness, you're awake." Mitsuru walked into the room, "Koromaru healed fully and will now be joining us in missions. However, we're more worried about _you _than Tartarus itself."

"H-How long was I out...?" She asked Mitsuru, all the while petting the furry creature as it laid in her lap on the bed.

"Few days..." She replied, "Today is August 15th. The other members were taking summer school while you were unconcious. You somehow fell into a mysterious coma, and an odd aura was radiating from you."

"Au..ra..?" She looked at Mitsuru as if she had been slapped across the face.

"We've been watching over your reactions while you were asleep." She continued explaining, "It's nothing big, but we're concerned about your health."

"S-Senpai..." She looked at her eyes. They showed more sympathy than anything else. "T-Thanks..."

"It's not a problem." She smirked, "By the way, Akihiko wanted me to give you a message if you woke up around this time."

"What?" Daedalus' head tilted.

"He was wondering if you would like to go to the Summer Festival with him." She replied, "He said he'd be walking around the watch, but he'll be waiting for you to arrive during the duration of the event."

"Hiko-kun..." She whispered, "I-I'll think about it."

"You have a day, and they won't be coming back until later, so..." Mitsuru was thinking for a few minutes, "Why not play outside with Koromaru and develop your trust with him?"

"W-What?!" Dae looked at him. "Only if it's alright with you, Koro-chan..."

_"Arf!" _The dog barked brightly.

Daedalus smiled gently as she got off the bed to put on her sandals.

"Alright, I'll take him for a walk at the Nagaraki Shrine." She smiled, "I know he's had some bad memories, but he's so loyal!"

"Understood." She handed Daedalus a communicator. "Contact me if something happens."

"Of course." Daedalus replied, "C-Come on Koro-chan... Let's play!"

...

Daedalus ran around with Koromaru chasing her playfully around the Shrine steps. She smiled brightly and laughed as she would tumble over and have Koromaru lick her face. She felt like a little kid who finally got what they wanted for Christmas. After a few minutes, Daedalus plopped back down to take a breather.

"You're so carefree, Koro-chan..." She patted the dog's head. "You really like me, huh?"

"_Arf!_" The dog replied in a happy manner. He ran around in circles again, and ran up the shrine stairs. She picked up her small dress and ran after him. Once she caught up to the dog, she began to put her face into his fur.

_'Soft...' _She thought to herself, _'Warm...'_

In a way, she knew this is how _she _should feel when she's around SEES. A soft friendship with a warm feeling of protection. She pet him again before she sat around the steps.

"I wonder how dogs like you are so carefree..." She asked herself, getting back up. "Alright, Koro-chan! Let's have a race, shall we?"

Daedalus walked down the steps, but Koromaru decided to joke around and pass her before she did anything.

"Hey!" She faked the whine, "That's not fair!"

Koromaru's tail just wagged in excitement as she came down the stairs. However, her foot slipped and she began to trip off the stairs to collide with the hard cement.

"Gah!" She whispered to herself as Koromaru ran from behind and tried to grab her dress, but his teeth barely missed on the fabric.

_"Gotcha." _Dae fell into a person's arms as soon as she got off the stairs. Koromaru was running around the person like crazy, and when she looked up all she could see was a baseball cap lit up in the sun.

"J-Junpei-san!" She squirmed back up quickly and looked at him shyly.

"Glad to see you're awake." He smiled. "How've you been feeling?"

"Kinda sick in the stomach..." She smirked, "Otherwise, I've been okay. I've been playing with Koromaru for a few minutes. I came to the Nagaraki Shrine after I woke up."

"I see." He scratched the back of his head. "Akihiko and Minato went seperate ways, so I can't really tell you where they are."

"It's alright." She replied, sitting back on the stairs. Junpei decided to sit by her as she watched the sun fly by the buildings. "... _I'm sorry._"

"Huh?" Junpei looked at her, puzzled.

"I never got to apologize to you all for going all out like that..." She spoke honestly. "I'm sorry."

She finally apologized to _one _person. With all the 'Social Links', confusion, and many other things, she hasn't been able to stop acting like a jerk. Whatever happened to her more quieter side?

"It's alright, Dae." Junpei had a big smile, "Hey, but guess what. I heard you and Senpai are going out!"

_'W-Well, that broke the moment!' _Daedalus blushed deeply for a few seconds before calming herself down to keep it away.

"I-It's not a date!" She shouted, "We're just _friends_, okay? He's just taking me out like friends _do_!"

"Pssh, like I'm going to believe that." Junpei messed with her hair before getting up to take her back to the dorm. "It's getting late, you played with Koromaru _way _too long!"

"Aww..." Dae whined as she got off the steps by herself. The day was already ending? It wasn't very exciting now that the moon could come out within a few minutes. "I understand... Come on Koro-chan!"

Koromaru barked happily and followed Junpei as they began to walk. Suddenly, Daedalus knew what was coming... The voices in her head came back again.

_'Thou hath empowered the Link between the Magician and the Strength Arcana...' _The voice told her, having her stop and look around again. The necklace had begun to shine, and then the lights flickered back off.

_"Hey, Dae!" _Junpei called out, "Are you coming or not?!"

"S-Sorry!" She called back, running torwards the teenage boy.

...

That night, everyone welcomed her back with relief because of her unconcious and unstable state. She smiled as she yawned to signal she was sleepy, and began to walk upstairs again. Despite it being a slightly depressing day due to her Darker Half, she still had tons of fun hanging out with her friends and teammate Koromaru. Maybe the Persona had something to do with it?

"...I don't know..." Daedalus mumbled to herself. "If my Persona and the Social Links have something to do with this...I guess I have to thank it personally."

She sat into her brown chair and scooted up to the desk that she had all her study books on.

_"If Gekkoukan High Students can study like that, why don't I try for a change?" _She mumbled to herself before working on some equations.

* * *

_**Sorry for the wait, but it's Winter Break~! I can finally work on Blackbullet more often!**_

_**To make it up, I'll post 12 AND 13 today for you guys to read.**_

_**Persona 3 (C) ATLUS**_

_**Daedalus & Dark Daedalus (C) Me~  
**_


	13. Memories Stay Forever

**Chapter 13 - Memories Stay Forever.**

Daedalus woke up the next day to dress up and go out to meet Daira. A simple white overall sweater could fit her better than any other clothes. However, putting on a large sweater for a short girl like her made it seem like she only had a dress on. She placed on the pair of shoes she had, and walked out her room in the morning.

"G-Good morning, everyone." She said as she walked into the hall.

"Good morning, Dae-chan." Fuuka replied calmly, "Where are you off to?"

"I'm visiting my cousin today." She began, "See, a few weeks back I reconnected with my cousin. Fuuka-san, you should know her, she was the girl working at Lolita Gothix."

"Wow, that's great!" She smiled brightly, "But, why is she working at a store?"

"Trying to raise money." Daedalus replied, "She owns a house... well, apartment, and is using it to pay for the funds. Basically, she dropped out of school for awhile."

"I see." Mitsuru put down her book, "Well, if you're going out, please be careful."

"Don't worry, Senpai." She smiled, "We're just going out to eat and such, it's nothing _too _big."

She noticed Akihiko reading a newspaper, but never put it down. That's when she remembered about the Summer Festival. Akihiko asked her,-well, Mitsuru _told _her-, out to go and look around for fun. She couldn't find a good way to respond to the request, because she only mustered up the courage to follow him once. Her feelings were getting in the way...

"I..." She told them as she opened the door, "I'll be back later."

With that, she went outside and closed the door behind her.

...

"Glad you could come." Daira was leaning against a wall in the Paulownia Mall. Her store read "Closed" and she had her headphones hanging around her neck. Obviously, she was in a good mood. "Listen, you said you had basically _nothing _to keep as memories from when you were younger, right?"

"Y-Yeah, why?" Daedalus looked at her in confusion. Her adorable tone made it impossible for guys to _not _spread rumors.

"Well..." Daira smiled, "I have a suprise for you in Lolita Gothix. See, this place is like my second home, and I had all sorts of stuff from when you were younger here."

"You're _kidding_!" Daedalus' eyes widened. Did she really have old pictures?

Daira got the key and unlocked the door, pushing it open quickly. She turned back to Dae, who was lost in thought about all the pictures she could carry in that small little store. Daira just smirked as she began to walk in.

"Come on in, then." She replied, "You might wanna check out some of the stuff that's in here. I've been saving it so I could find you one day."

Daedalus ran into the store, but stopped as soon as she got to the register.

The store had been finished in decorating. The walls were a tinted purple, and the floor was jet black. Shelves had tons of jeans or shirts, and even little accessories for phones and stuff. Daira had taste in everything, especially since when Daedalus looked in the back, she noticed the working table with the sewing machine.

"See, I make most of the things here." Daira replied as pulled Daedalus around the register. "However, I do use my money to get new shippings, and many people seem to like to buy my stuff."

Daedalus continued to follow her to the back without hesitation. She did seem dazed by the clothing, and wondered when it would finish up selling.

"Sometime in November, I will close down this school and go back to Gekkoukan High School." Daira replied as she opened a secret door on the floor. "By then, I'll probably have to live somewhere else. Since Ikutsuki-san knows me, I might as well move into the Dorm."

The room grew dark and had Daedalus get closer to Daira. Daira navigated around to find the light switch, and eventually did. They were then surrounded by tons of boxes, which Daedalus examined the labels. Most of them said "Sewing Materials" or "Clothing for Shipping."

"I seriously need to get rid of these clothes by November." She chuckled as she opened one of the boxes. "I have tons of orders coming in, and then I have to work my way around at home."

"I see..." Daedalus was paying attention to the box more than what she was saying. It was taped up so it wouldn't get damaged, and read "Memories."

Once Daira opened up the box, she blew the dust that began gathering on the inside somehow. She picked out books that were hers until she found an ink black book.

The book had a little pink tie around it, and was filled with dust on the title. Daira began swatting off all the things that got onto it, then handed it to Dae. She then dug around again, and found a stuffed animal.

Daedalus' eyes widened at the site. That was the same plush from her childhood!

"Told you." She smiled, getting back up. "Open up the book."

Daedalus pulled the cover open with her free hand and had her jaw drop after seeing what was inside.

Pictures. Childhood pictures. Pictures that she could never get her hands on ever again. She saw her two buddies, a picture with her family, and many other things. Her mother when she was with her father... and Akihiko along with another when they went out for Ice Cream one time.

"Y-You had these..?" Daedalus was smiling with joy. "I can't believe-"

"The other guys probably still have some pictures of you when you were younger. I know Akihiko has them for sure..." Daira replied, but then changed the subject. "Are you going to the Summer Festival?"

"I probably am, but alone." I replied, "I've never been to one before."

"I understand." She smiled, "I remember going to Summer Festivals when I was younger. However, I went in a yukata... and I lost it."

"That's horrible!" Daedalus shouted in terror, taking the stuffed animal in her arm. She closed up the photo album carefully.

"It was handmade, but still.." She smiled, "I may go next year, depending on if I can remake my Yukata at the time. However, Dae..."

"Huh?" She looked in confusion.

"Don't let go of your dreams..." She replied, "Enjoy life as the kid you are, but stay in school. Don't end up like me and have to get a job like this."

"Um, okay..." She replied, "I promise you, I won't!"

She ran out the secret room while waving goodbye, when Daira looked at her go off into the distance.

"Heh," Daira smiled, "Even my cousin's getting braver..."

...

Daedalus walked around the city clutching the book to her chest. Indeed, your head could keep most of the unforgettable moments of your life, but...

Daedalus had to rely on this book if Dark Daedalus wanted to screw with her memories so much. If she forgot everything, she would never forgive herself even if it was something small.

"Memories can only be treasured..." She smiled. "I must make the best of it if I wanna survive."

The day got dark, and soon hit the sunset. Daedalus was feeling the wind fly past her and have her wavy hair hide her face. She fixed it after placing her items in such a position so she could hold them.

It was only then that a couple was passing by.

_"The Summer Festival is starting soon, let's go and check it out." _The male told his girlfriend, who was talking with him as well.

"Could you try winning something for me from one of the games?" The girl asked him with hope in her tone.

"Of course."

The Summer Festival! Daedalus forgot all about it! She remembered all the details Mitsuru told her the other day, but she never really paid much attention to them. The location, where was--

"Excuse me!" Daedalus shouted to them as they began to walk off. "D-Do you know where I can go to the Summer Festival?!"

"Don't worry, little one." The boy messed with her hair, "It hasn't started yet, but it's at the Nagaraki Shrine. By the time you get there, it should be in progress."

"T-Thank you!" She shouted back to them in relief. She began to run to the Station, quickly asking to get on the train to go to the Nagaraki Shrine. She was spazzing out in her seat, since she thought Akihiko may not be there.

Once she got there, she began to feel pain inside.

"N-No..." She whispered to herself, "Akihiko...he's not-"

She dropped everything, and fell to the ground in tears. She knew she shouldn't have forgotten about their little playdate, but she obviously forgot it quickly.

As she was about to wail, she felt a warm palm on her shoulder. She turned her head, she saw a smiling face looking at her.

"What's with the sad face?" He asked her with his eyes locking onto hers. "You accepted my offer, huh?"

"Y-Yes.." She tried to smile as he wiped her tears off with his hand. He then took her hand and pulled her up, also taking the book and stuffed animal into his hands.

...

Many people were hanging out at the shrine to play games or eat food together. They were either high school kids within a group, husbands and wives, or mothers with their little children.

"It's so pretty..." Dae said after a long silence. "Now I see why so many people wanna gather up at everything.."

Blush grew onto her cheeks, but not because of embarassment. More so because she was content with what she was looking at.

A woman passed by them with a black flowery yukata. Daedalus wasn't aware that she made a delighted squeal.

"That Yukata was so cute..." She told herself, quickly looking up at Akihiko.

"Heh, you got to admit, this year was better than the rest." He had a content smile on his face. "This was your first Summer Festival, right?"

"Yeah." She nodded, "O-Oh, Hiko-kun. You didn't have to carry my stuff."

"Not to worry." He replied, "Let's have some Takoyaki together, okay?"

When he said Takoyaki, a memory came to her mind. She smiled with her eyes closing, as if she felt something warm.

* * *

_'What's that?' Daedalus was sitting by Akihiko on the bench. He had a stick with some bread-looking rolls in the middle._

_'This is what you would call Takoyaki, Dae-Dae.' He broke off a piece for her. 'I'll be leaving soon, so I wanted you to try it.'_

_Daedalus soon took the piece of the baked Octopus and put it into her small mouth._

_'I-It's good, Hiko-kun!' Daedalus stuttered as she finished the last of it._

_

* * *

_

She shook off the memory though, as the last of it was what started all the Social Link mess with Akihiko.

"Hey, Dae-Dae!" Daedalus looked to her right and saw Akihiko sitting on the pavement, waving his hand to signal her to come over. He held a napkin and a large stick of takoyaki. Daedalus sat by her friend while they began to share the food together.

"R-Really, Hiko-kun, I can't thank you enough..." Daedalus was nibbling on it slightly. Her blush inching to her face again as she hung out with her friend. Her blush was being hidden by the cold wind that was rushing in and hitting her cheeks ever so gently. She began shivering, even with the steaming takoyaki in her hand.

"Here." Akihiko held out his jacket. She didn't even realize he had his normal red V-neck tee. He placed it over her shoulders as she finished up the piece. Her blush grew even bigger.

"T-Thank you..." She whispered, soon not even realizing she was leaning on his shoulder with her arms wrapped around his. She looked up at the sky and saw the stars beginning to twinkle in the night.

_"Hey, you two! Would you like to play Luck Draw?" _A man at the stand startled the two, and had them look back. "You two seem lucky tonight, how 'bout a try?"

"U-Um..-"

"Alright." Akihiko smiled. He walked over to the stand with Dae's hand in his other hand, and picked out a piece of paper.

The man hastily took it, "Congratulations! You won a prize!"

He held out a stuffed animal to them. She remembered seeing something as she looked at the doll. A Jack Frost stuffed animal... she remembered seeing it when Minato summoned it. Akihiko even look suprised, but took it anyways and gave it to Dae.

"Here." He gave her the doll. "I'll carry all your stuff home, so you can just hold that one."

"H-Hiko-kun..." She looked up at him in suprise, but hid her blushing face under her plushie. Within seconds, she took a deep breath and ran to hug him tightly. His eyes widened for a second, but then he began to place his hand onto her head.

"I-I... had a wonderful time today... Thank you." She cuddled into him more.

_'Thou shalt have the blessing when empowering with the Emperor Arcana...' _Was all she heard when she went home with him that day.

* * *

**_Whee, more dating~! Somewhat filler chapter, but it all comes in when it's AkixOC, x.x;;_**

**_Persona 3 (C) ATLUS_**

**_Daedalus & Daira Tavi (C) Me~  
_**


	14. Not So Nice Reunion

**Chapter 14 - Not So Nice Reunion.**

Days passed as the summer passed by as well. Ken Amada had also joined the team, and Daedalus became more supportive in the Dark Hour. Learning skills like Diarama and Garula, she did more to help herself when training. She finished off the 10th Guardian of Tartarus, and strengthened the so called 'Social Links.' In her spare time, she would either look at her album, or read the book Daira _forced _her to buy that day. Her Darker Half was still giving her some problems with cryptic messages, but she never told anyone what the half said. All and all, she was happy with one thing:

_School._

She would be attending Gekkoukan High School the next day with her buddies, and become a Junior. However, she never told Iori about it.

_"Hey, wouldn't it be funny if Aigis went to school?" Yukari had joked with Dae and Mitsuru. "It would be really funny if she suddenly became a genius!"_

"Actually, that's a great idea." _Ikutsuki had told them, as he walked in. "Then, Dae could go to school with you all as well._

Now, she was trying on the uniform Mitsuru had given her. A large red bow that basically signaled 'Hey, everyone, I'm flat-chested!' was placed in the middle, and she wore the jacket slightly open that had a plain white tee showing. A long black skirt was given to her, and she wore long socks to help with her school shoes. After she finished up with her clothing, she wanted to try out something with her hair. It was long, up to her knees, and she wanted to fix it in the best way so she wouldn't be tripped by it or anything.

"I guess..." She was toying with it still, "I should just put it in a basic ponytail. It's too long, and I stink when it comes to cutting hair."

_"Hey Dae!" _Yukari called from the end of the door, "The guys are back! It's time to show them what you're made of!"

She blushed lightly and told herself: "When you make it sound like that..."

"A-Alright, I'll come down in a minute!" She called back out, grabbing the brush and come by the mirror.

...

"Sorry Koro-chan, you stay here.." Was all Daedalus heard as she began to come down the stairs. She had hair covering her face like Daira, but the other parts of her hair were ponytails coming down her shoulders.

"Y-You try having long hair..." Daedalus sighed as she came down brushing her hair. She looked at Aigis in her uniform. "Wow, you look like a true human, Aigis!"

"Wow..." Junpei was blushing when he saw her, "You look _adorable _Dae!"

"I'm barely going to eighth grade, and I'm suddenly a Junior in High School!" She cried out, "I'll look like a total _idiot _being as short as this!"

"No one should know you, though." Ken smiled, trying to reassure her. "You'll be alright as long as you act normal!"

"U-Understandable." She nodded, fixing up the bangs that were now covering her face. "I-If you excuse me, I'm going to finish up getting ready for tomorrow."

...

The next day, Daedalus woke up early to fix her hair and get ready for school. Today was her first day at Gekkoukan High School, and honestly, she needed to get back into school. She's been off track with her studies, and hoped that she could get Mitsuru-senpai or so to help her. Her hair was back down to her knees, but there was one large bang in between her eyes and nose. After feeding Koromaru, she took the train to Gekkoukan High.

Yukari had saved her a seat so she could sit by the familiars. Junpei was looking out the window in boredom, and Minato was listening to his headphones like a normal schoolboy. Daedalus was looking down and kicking her feet lightly in the air, not because she was eager, but nervous on her impression to the whole school. She was short, above average education, and her parents basically called her a demon. How the _hell _was she going to get through the day without a problem.

Once they got off, she took her brown bag and began to walk to the school entrance. The school was large from the outside, and stunned Daedalus as soon as she saw it. Once she started walking, she accidently bumped into a girl that was on the side. Daedalus fell onto her stomach, while the girl fell on her behind. Daedalus was already blushing from embarassment, closing her eyes to hide the person's face, and was quickly picking up her case and wiping off the dust on her skirt.

"I'm sorry." The girl's sudden voice called out. "I should've been looking at where I was going, not focusing on running for my life."

"N-No, it's my fault. You weren't the one that bumped into me, I bumped into _you_.." Daedalus opened her eyes and saw a girl getting up, "A-Are you alright?"

The girl was a short-haired blondie with blue eyes that made her greatly resemble Aigis... only human.

"I'm Fuko Taourze." She held out her hand for Dae to take. "I'm the leader of the Band of Gekkoukan High. Well, Band AND Choir. However, we just do band now, since it's easier to maintain."

"N-Nice to meet you.." She replied, "I-I'm Daedalus Tavi. I'm just entering this school today."

"Well, I hope to see you around more often, Tabby-chan..." She replied in a sing-song voice, walking off as soon as the bell rang.

"T-Tabby-chan...?" Daedalus was wondering, but shrugged it off as soon as she began to walk in.

..

"Class, we have _two _new students who will be joining us. Both of them barely transferred today." The teacher, Ms. Toriumi, was explaining to them. Aigis was standing up front, while Daedalus peeked from behind her. As soon as Toriumi noticed this, she chuckled.

"Oh, don't worry." She replied, "Come on out and introduce yourself!"

Daedalus began to walk out to confront the class and was easily shaking now.

"M-My name is Daedalus Tavi..." She began to say, "N-Nice to meet you, e-everyone.."

"Daedalus, hm?" She smiled, "What else should I know...? Lives in a dorm... Parents murdered? Oh my... I'm sorry to hear that..."

Daedalus just turned away.

"Let's see..." The teacher was looking around, "Daedalus, why not sit next to Iori, over there?"

Daedalus saw Junpei, and he immediately gave her a huge grin.

"Y-Yes ma'am.." She walked over to the empty seat and walked off to sit by him. She slipped into her seat and blushed deeply. Immediately rumors began to spread about her, and some she could even hear.

_"Wasn't that the one dating Sanada?"_

_"Really? I saw her on the streets."_

_"She seems to be living in a dorm as well!"_

She just kept sinking lower until Aigis introduced herself.

"My name is Aigis. It is nice to meet you." She explained, and once Ms. Toriumi was finding her a seat, Aigis immediately sat next to Minato.

"This spot will be perfect, because I want to always be by his side.." She continued.

Daedalus could've sworn her mouth dropped open when she heard that. Aigis sounded so real, and yet she sounded like she was dating him.

"Aigis!" Yukari shouted, standing up from her seat and glaring at her.

"Is there a problem..?" Aigis asked.

"Save the drama for after class..." Ms. Toriumi told them.

...

Lunch came by fast, and Daedalus was known throughout her classroom. She was walking around the school to get a feel for it, and Yuko was talking with her as they walked by. The group was curious on what she was saying.

"So, drop by my classroom after school sometime, and I'll teach you how to play the flute!" Yuko was talking to her.

"R-Right, thank you Y-Yuko..." Daedalus bowed as she went back into her own classroom. She walked in on Minato talking with the others. She sat down by Yukari and began to join the conversation, when Minato recieved a message.

"Oh? It's from Akihiko." He told them, and began to read the message out loud. "'I have something important to take care of after school. I want you to come, but I also want Daedalus to come along. I'm waiting by the gate... meet me there?' What the.."

"H-He probably needs to tell us something." Daedalus replied. "S-Should we go?"

"We should." Minato nodded.

"Speaking of Akihiko-senpai..." Junpei got up to lean by Dae, "I heard you two lovebirds went to the Summer Festival.."

"Oh, yeah. I heard about that, too.." Yukari replied, "How'd it go?"

"I-I thought h-he went back to the dorm..." She smiled shyly, "H-However, he was waiting for me all along."

"That's nice." Minato smiled at her, ending the conversation about that there.

...

Daedalus was carrying her bag and walking with Minato until she saw Akihiko with a suitcase and his jacket slung behind his back.

"There you guys are." He walked up to them, "There's something I have to do, and... I'll just get straight to the point here. We're getting an old SEES member. And Dae-Dae, you might recognize him as an old friend..."

"Old..Friend..?" They began to walk down to Hagakure as she began to talk.

"Yeah... however, you're going to have to hide before he comes out." He replied, "It'll be kind of awkward going face to face again..."

"'Again?'" She asked. "N-Never mind. Let's just continue on."

...

They arrived at Hagakure and waited outside. Akihiko signaled her to hide behind the Hagakure sign.

"He'll come out in a minute, but I want you to stay behind there until he comes out, alright?" He requested out of her.

"Of course." She replied, hiding like he told her.

The door from the shop opened and revealed a boy that looked as tall as Akihiko. He wore a black beanie and had brown hair sticking out from the sides, and a bit in the middle of his forehead. He had a button blacked collar on his maroon jacket, and had buttons running from the sides. He also wore pointed out shoes, as if he was from Gekkoukan High School.

"You're getting on my nerves, Aki." He began to say.

"I'm not asking anymore. The situation's changed.." He replied.

"What?" The boy just looked away.

Akihiko walked up to him and held up the suitcase.

"This is yours, isn't it?" He asked. "We have enemies, now... they're Persona-users just like us."

"Does it look like I care?" He asked him in a cold voice. Daedalus, not even being noticed, felt shivers down her spine. Was this the friend that was in her picture? The friend that was taken out of her picture?

"There's more..." Akihiko continued, as the teen was about to walk off. "...Ken Amada has joined the team."

This made the boy swipe right back around.

"What are you-"

"And not only that, but..." Akihiko turned, "Do you remember the person I told you about when a dog joined SEES?"

"Yeah, so?"

Akihiko waved his hand from the guy's direction. He was confused on what he was doing...until Daedalus began to walk out. She had her eyes widened and focused on the boy's own. His eyes widened as well.

"S-Shinji..-kun?" She asked in a soft voice, clutching her hands and holding them to her chest. If this _was _her friend Shinjiro, he changed. His clothing changed; he was different than three years ago.

"Daedalus?!" He shouted, "W-What the hell?! I thought you were-"

"I ended up in this town." She looked away from his eyes. They gave too much of an icy glare to her face. "I...I have the potential, Shinji-kun.. My Darker Half is the reason..."

"What the hell are you doing in SEES?" He asked her sternly, his glare not even taking a new direction. "I thought I told you to stay home, because alot of shit has been happening lately."

"I _couldn't_!" She shouted. She wasn't so shy anymore, but she was mad. "Shinjiro, my parents were murdered by _me _and I didn't even know about it! And now..."

She turned her head again, to hide that she was crying on the outside. Tears dropped onto the ground as the four stood there, wide-eyed.

"Y-Yeah, Ken Amada joined the group," She continued. "H-He has the potential as well...He volunteered to join..."

"You've gotta be _kidding _me!" The boy called Shinjiro replied, heaving out a sigh. "Fine, I'm in... However, Dae you better watch your back. I don't want anything to happen like before..."

He looked at Minato. "If you don't mind me asking, what are you fighting for?"

"Uh, well..." Minato looked at him. "I don't know..."

"That so?" He replied, "Is my room still vacant, Aki?"

Akihiko handed him the suitcase and nodded. With that being said, the three walked off with Dae still behind.

"...?!" Something caught Dae's mind again, and this time she had a feeling that it wasn't good.

_'Thou shalt have the blessing when choosing to empower one with the Death Arcana...'_

_'Hold on a minute.' _Daedalus thought to herself, _'Death?!'_

She sighed, putting her hands behind her back and looking down.

"...Nice to see you again, too, Shinji-kun..." She told herself while beginning to walk off to the Dorm.

* * *

_**How sweet, two friends meet up again only to begin to yell at each other and fight over who should do what in their lives.**_

_**Also, a new appearance of an OC that is actually **_**not _mine, but my friend, Raven's. She will be a separate Social Link, but this will be the last one before one of the chapters pop up. _**

**_Persona 3 (C) ATLUS_**

**_Daedalus (C) Me_**

**_Yuko (C) My Buddy Raven.  
_**


	15. Recarm: Daedalus and Her Technique

Chapter 15 - Recarm: Daedalus and Her Technique.

Daedalus sat in the Dining Room with her album in hand. It was Saturday Morning, but she didn't feel like going to school due to all the commotion in the past few days. Well, almost tons of commotion.

Shinjiro Aragaki. A teenage boy who Daedalus had some sort of connection with. Her apparent Social Link with him had been reestablished, and the scary part was the fact it was Death. She whipped around her small little head that was filled with so many questions to scan her album. All of a sudden, she turned around to find Shinjiro glaring at her with a rude-looking frown on his face. Though, she couldn't really see his eyes due to the hat, so she just turned back with a slightly worried look on her face.

"Tell me again why _you're_ in SEES?" He finally spoke after a few minutes.

"I-I already told you..." She turned the page of the album, trying to pretend he wasn't there. "I have it..."

"That didn't mean you had to join." He criticized. "Shouldn't you be in school right now?"

"I-I don't _want _to go today." She replied with a peeved tone in her voice. She had learned to stand up for herself before, why wasn't she doing it as well now?

"It's been awhile, Dae," He continued to talk, "You've become strong, but not strong enough. I don't know if it was before or after you joined, but Akihiko was talking tons about you."

She just turned to him in confusion.

"He said something about your house being burned down. He never knew about the murder until you told him."

She stayed silent for a minute, and hesitated on saying something else.

"Shinji-kun..." She whispered to herself. She lightly touched her necklace, trying to find something to say. He left her speechless, and not in a good way.

"By the way, what's with the necklace?" He eyed at the wing that was now glowing a full colored black. Daedalus froze in her position and clutched it tightly.

"Did Hiko-kun tell you about this, too..?" Dae whipped around into his direction, staring into his eyes with her sandy brown.

"He said he first saw it at Yakushima." Shinjiro replied with an unfazed tone. "He never got to ask you about it, though."

Daedalus' mind intervened with what Shinjiro was saying. The necklace finally began to glow even darker, and had a purple aura swirling around it. She felt breathless, but in a way she knew it was just an illusion around her. When the voice finished giving her the same creepy message as it usually does, she blinked. When she looked around again, Shinji was gone.

"Daedalus."

Or not. She looked straight ahead to find Shinji looking into her eyes. She couldn't read his expression very well.

"I... gotta go somewhere..." She went upstairs to slip on her shoes, and ran back down only to find Shinji by the door.

"W-What?!" She panicked. His expression never changed, but he moved aside for her to walk out the door.

...

Daedalus arrived at the Nagaraki Shrine within a few minutes. She thought about the power of Persona everytime she got here. However, whenever she thought about Persona, it always ended up with Dark Daedalus in her mind. Her thoughts only broadened the Dark Forest that was inhabited by the evil female. Though, today she didn't feel like thinking about Persona, but about memories she had with the two boys in her life.

She remembered Shinji always baking something and sneaking it into her room at night. She'd get caught by her mother sometimes, but she didn't care back then.

There was also the time Akihiko defended her from the father when her mother wasn't home. He was so abusive to her, she just didn't want to think about it anymore.

_"Oh, wasn't expecting you here." _Daedalus turned to find Daira using her laptop, but she was also in some faded jeans and a white shirt with a red jacket around it. Headphones were actually on her ears now, and she was looking up something on the computer. "Skippin' school?"

"Oh, Daira." Dae smiled, "No, but... I just didn't wanna go today."

"Understandable." She replied, taking the floppy disk from the computer slot.

"What're you doing?" Dae sat by her crosslegged, looking at the screen filled with tons of data flow.

"I'm searching up more about the Apathy Syndrome." She replied, "I'm taking notes on the disks, and I'm converting them to printed paper later on."

"Apathy Syndrome..." Daedalus tried to remember about it. "Oh, isn't that-"

"When the Shadows attack harmless innocents?" Daira interrupted, "Yes. I feel useless unable to fight, but making these notes will help me on going into more detail of Shadows."  
"You're just like Fuuka-chan..." She lightly grinned.

"Tonight's a Full Moon, y'know?" Daira reminded her.

"I don't think I'm ready..." Dae cuddled up by her cousin.

"Don't worry!" Daira encouraged her easily, "It's up to you and SEES to stop the Apathy Syndrome."

"..." Daedalus turned for a minute, but then clenched her hands into a fist. "Okay, I can do this!"

"Oh, and Dae before you go..." Daira pulled out a brown bag from behind her, and took out some sort of equipment. "Ikutsuki wanted me to give this to the dorm, but I thought it would be awkward, so I waited until the right timing to give this to you."

Dae picked up the three things she gave her. One of them was a magenta choker with a hairclip containing a skull on it. Daedalus pushed the little black gem in the middle of the neck protecting contraption, which had a baby blue cape pop up and cover her arms. Her next piece of equipment was a fingerless black-and-white striped glove to fit on her right hand. Of course, Daira must've predicted she wore her element glove on the left. Lastly, Daedalus put the clip into her hair and turned to Daira after a few minutes.

"How much-"

"It was 200,000 Yen in total." She replied, "But, Ikutsuki-san happened to come by and buy it for me."

Daedalus clicked the button for the cape to go back into it's original form, and hugged Daira tightly.

"Thank you..." She replied, soon looking at some High School students come their way.

"Might be best for you to return to the dorm." Daira closed her laptop, "Gotta go open Lolita Gothix now, but I'm hoping to see you again soon!"

"Right!" Daedalus gave her a thumbs up, and ran back to the dorm.

...

"The 6th full moon, huh?" Ikutsuki began to speak, "Any luck, Fuuka?"

"Yeah, though I'm not really sure on this..." Fuuka replied, "I can't pinpoint the location... but it's at Paulownia Mall."

"Any sign of Tavi?" Mitsuru questioned.

"She's...heading this way right now." Fuuka replied, "Actually, she's closer than we think.."

"S-Sorry, I'm late." Daedalus came into the room, "I got held up with my Cousin.."

"Ah, Daira gave you the equipment." Ikutsuki turned to Dae's direction. "Good, then we're almost all here."

"Fuuka, would not being able to pinpoint the location _be _the Shadow's power?" Akihiko asked.

"I'm not sure..." She sighed.

"It's alright. There's enough information to go on." Shinjiro jumped in.

Daedalus turned around only to find Ken skidding to a halt in the control room.

"Any luck, Amada?" Mitsuru asked.

"I can't find Junpei anywhere..." He replied, "His backpack isn't here either, so I don't think he's home."

"Well, at least _I _know Dae isn't stuck with him." Yukari grunted. "He knows tonight's the night!"

"Want me to scan around, just in case?" Fuuka suggested.

"It's alright." Ikutsuki replied, "Teens always get into those moods. We should focus on the task right now."

"Let's go." Mitsuru told them, "Daedalus, you know what to do."

"Y-Yes, ma'am!" She bowed. As the others began to walk off, Minato and Dae were both stopped by Shinjiro.

"Leader, did he say anything earlier?" Shinjiro asked him.

"Not that I know of, no..." He replied.

"Alright." Shinjiro replied, then turning to Dae. "Don't push yourself."

...

"Ugh..." Daedalus began to whimper, "Seeing all this blood... Sometimes it makes me wonder..."

Fuuka got into the position of concentrating again.

"Detect anything?" Mitsuru looked towards the girl under Lucia's protection.

"It's faint, but...it feels like it's interfering."

"We can split up and look for it." Mitsuru interrupted, "No time to lose; hurry!"

"This is my job, please wait!" Fuuka pleaded in sadness. She clenched her hands together, as if she were praying, bent her head down, and closed her eyes.

_"Tell me, Lucia, what is this thing that deceives me...?" _Fuuka began to ask.

_"Hear the wind's answer in your ear..."_

_"Touch the earth's answer with your fingertips..."_

_"Taste the water's answer on your lips..."_

Daedalus' necklace began to glow, having everyone's attention turn to her. She had her hands in a position to channel the radiant energy that was coming from her. Every time Fuuka said something, the necklace would change color, plus she would sync with the bobbed girl's Persona.

"Are they...alright?" Akihiko worried about the two.

"Don't break their concentration." Mitsuru insisted.

"I've seen her necklace glow once, but this..." Minato spoke.

"Some kind of...webbing?" They both signaled in unison. "It's right beneath our feet!"

"The power cables, most likely." Aigis replied, "They were just left there after the construction.

It runs in many directions, similar to a web."

"Fuuka-chan!" Daedalus' necklace stopped glowing, "I understand it, do you?"

"Yes." She nodded.

"Nothing's meddling with us," Daedalus began, "The Shadow possessed the cables! I don't know how, but... my necklace sensed this as well."

"Could it be connected with Lucia?" Yukari took note of it. "No matter, we'll deal with that later. But, how is underneath the whole area?!"

"It makes sense." Akihiko replied.

"How can we beat something like that..." Ken doubted no one but himself.

"We don't have a way of attacking, but..." Daedalus was walking around in circles. "Senpai, I read some notes Fuuka gave me. A Shadow took form of a monorail, right?"

"That _must _mean the Shadow right now must have it's own body." Fuuka replied, "Let me look for it."

"We have a chance at failing to get to it, keep that in mind." Akihiko added.

"There might be a way to reach the cable feed." Aigis said. All Shinjiro said was, "We'll see..."

"Fuuka, take it easy..." Yukari warned.

Daedalus began to walk around the mall, until she felt another strange aura come to her with the necklace.

"I...found it." Fuuka replied. "By the mall... A small chamber... and it's man-made, or should be since it's rectangular."

"Maybe a room?" Ken suggested.

"I overheard the manager of Escapade saying that the power has gone out of control lately." Shinjiro replied.

"Not a surprise there." Yukari sounded annoyed.

"The control panel's under the club." Shinjiro added.

"That's where it is!" Fuuka concluded.

"And that's where I began to feel this aura." Daedalus responded. "Let's go, then?"

"Right," Minato began to choose members, "Dae-chan, Akihiko-senpai, and Shinjiro-senpai. Please, come with me."

...

Daedalus set on her cape as soon as possible, and looked up at the Shadow. It had a bulging orange eye coming out of it's supposed head, and it's whole body was strapped to the cables.

"The source is right in front of you," Fuuka explained, "It's connected to all those cables, please be careful!"

"A-Alright," Dae's glove began to glow a bright white. "Be ready for anything!"

"Daedalus, support!" Minato commanded.

"Understood." She began charging up the emitting light.

Right then and there, Minato charged into the Shadow and lunged at it with his sword. Shinjiro wasted no time summoning his Persona.

"Ready for this?" He asked himself, shooting his head to summon the Persona he hid for so long.

A blackened version of Polydeuces came out...on a horse at that! It had a type of sword protruding out to it's back, and was riding the horse as if it was a master. Within seconds, the Persona landed a critical hit on the Shadow.

"What was..."

"Castor." Shinjiro replied, "You already know about the incident."

"..." Daedalus turned back to the Shadow that was now on it's back. "Let's execute an All-Out Attack!"

"Initiate!" Minato ran forward with Daedalus then running in from behind. Though, something struck Dae odd. The Polydeuces look-a-like, Castor. In mythology, she knew they were Gemini twins, but--

She jumped back after it had finished up, and Akihiko ran up to it again to punch.

When Dae was charging up her energy for Diarama, Shinjiro looked at her.

"I don't need it." He scowled at her. She shook from the tone, and aimed at the Shadow.

_"G-Garula!" _She shouted and sent a wave of air torwards the monster.

The Shadow was getting annoyed, and began to charge up electrical energy for it's own support.

"Careful, it has alot of electricity!" Fuuka told them after examining it in battle.

Minato slashed again, and Shinjiro repeated his signature move for Castor: Fatal End. Akihiko missed the second punch, but that was when Dae was up.

"I'm not listening." She implied, letting her glove charge up for a second. _"Diarama!"_

Shinjiro's expression never changed, but he never said thanks either. Daedalus began to feel something vibrate around her feet. She scanned the area only to find lines of electricity circling the four.

"Dae, watch out!" Akihiko called out to her.

"Uwah!" She looked at the electricity circle them until it blew up in between them all.

_"Element Copy!"_

She heard that coming out of her mouth before doing anything else. Within seconds, she was blasted away from the team with electricity sparking from different parts of her body. She was paralyzed for a few minutes, until she finally recovered.

"Dae-Dae, Shinji's unconscious!" Akihiko was looking at him in anguish, and Daedalus knew why. Shinjiro was his childhood friend, it wasn't anything different. However, she had no idea how she could wake him up.

"No...I can't-" Dae was whimpering more than ever, "I-I can't do it...I don't know-"

"Believe in yourself, Dae." Akihiko looked at her straight in the face. "You can do it."

_'I can do this...' _ Dae thought to herself. _'I can do this..!'_

She felt her glove begin to gleam a bright light. Her arm maneuvered itself to Shinjiro's direction and she began to mouth something.

_"Re...Recarm." _Her voice as gentle as a Siren's, but only softer and had more of a whisper tone to it. Small white feathers began to surround Shinjiro's limp body, and within seconds, he got back up to his feet and fluttered his eyes open.

"Tch." He glared at her, but she noticed the glare wasn't as rude as his previous ones. In fact, she could've sworn he gave a stare of gratefulness.

"Orpheus!" Minato called out as he summoned the Fool.

Daedalus snapped her fingers above her head to heal herself. Taking tons of shock damage wasn't very appealing to her.

"It's charging again..." Akihiko noticed as the Shadow began emitting the same light as before.

"Take _this!_" Shinjiro summoned Castor to use Fatal End again.

"Polydeuces!" Akihiko hollered as the Persona knocked it off balance once final time.

"Initiate an All-Out Attack!" Minato called out to them.

"Your life will end by SEES!" Daedalus cried out as she charged in with the others.

The Shadow gave a large screech before disappearing into the Darkness.

...

"Congratulations, the presence of the Shadow is gone!" Fuuka came onto the speaker.

As the four began to walk off, she came up again.

"Oh, and also..." She sighed, "I think I've found Junpei. He's at the dorm, but...it feels strange. Since the Chairman's there, he should be okay. Let's just go back, though."

"Somehow, I have a bad feeling about this..." Daedalus sighed, beginning to walk off.

...

Daedalus felt nerving as they looked around for Junpei. Not that she had stopped worrying about him, but somehow she felt something else come up in her mind. Could he have been kidnapped?

"...!" Dae gasped in fear.

"What's wrong, Dae?" Yukari turned to her.

"Junpei-san..." She got up and ran up the stairs, "He's up at the roof, come on!"

"How do you know?" Fuuka asked in curiousity.

"Somehow..." Dae answered back, "I just feel it."

"Let's go." Minato replied as they ran up each of the staircases. Everytime they went up a step, Daedalus was beginning to not even doubt herself, but believe what she was told in her mind. She somehow knew Junpei was up there.

_*Slam*_

Yukari gasped the moment she saw Junpei tied up in chains, but also because a female was there.

_"Junpei?!" _Yukari was confused, and so was Dae. However, Dae just examined the girl in front of her.

The female was much taller than her. She had bright orange hair, and had a white bridal-style dress that looked like it wasn't a problem to her. Her eyes were a dark brown, but she wore chains on her legs and a dagger that looked like it went around like a headband. Her white socks hit all the way up under her dress, and she wore black and white heels. She had an axe on a chain wrapped around her as well.

"Tch, they're back already?" She asked herself, bringing what looked like an evoker up under her chin.

"A Persona-user?!" Mitsuru sounded shocked. Who wouldn't be? They were basically dealing with a girl who might have tied Junpei up.

_"Medea, come..." _The female smiled, aiming under her chin even more.

_"No!!" _Daedalus exclaimed, reaching for her lower stomach and tackling her as hard as she could. Being short didn't give her much of a problem, but she was able to keep the Evoker out of her reach.

Junpei loosened himself from the chains, and also helped Dae as she rolled off of the female.

"Chidori, stop!" Junpei yelped as he rolled her over to the back. The girl called Chidori struggled to break free, but soon stopped when she knew she had no chance of winning.

"No, give it back!" Chidori barked.

Daedalus ran up to get the Evoker, when she saw Shinjiro, the Chairman, and Akihiko run in with shock written all over their faces.

"Since when..?!" Ikutsuki stopped in his sentence. Daedalus ran up to Akihiko and gave him the Evoker with a face that said 'Keep it away from her!'

"Sorry, but we can't let you use this..." said Akihiko, as he was examining the gun.

"Medea!!" Chidori screamed.

"I...I didn't even sense her until now! Daedalus barely did, but.."

"I don't know how I did it, Fuuka-san." Dae sighed, "I just had a really bad feeling Junpei-san was in trouble!"

"If Fuuka had some trouble, she has to have a power to hide her presence. I didn't know she was here, and if Daedalus didn't know..."

Aigis walked towards Chidori, and held her in a stance as if the Police were arresting someone. Junpei got up and patted Dae on the back as if he was signaling a thank you.

"Are you a member of the group that goes by Strega? We have some questions for you..."

"I'm not... afraid... of dying..." Chidori was shaken up really bad. She didn't know how to respond.

"Ch-Chidori...?!" Junpei was worried about her deeply.

"...M-Medea, I'm-" Chidori began to cry with tears coming down her face.

"Clearly, she's emotionally unstable. Let's have her rest and save the questions for later." Mitsuru replied.

Daedalus just sighed, knowing that everything wasn't going to be alright from there on out.

Nothing was...

* * *

_**Sorry for the long wait! My laptop broke down awhile back and I couldn't really get up to the point to write Blackbullet. I'm also writing something on DeviantArt, and lost some motivation for a few, but now I'm up to write both stories again!**_

_**This was supposed to be a Christmas present, but of course, Laptop troubles~**_

_**Daira & Daedalus Tavi (C) Me**_

_**Persona 3 (C) ATLUS  
**_


	16. The First Feather

**Chapter 16 - The First Feather**

On Monday, Daedalus went back to school after all the commotion. As she was walking in, she saw Fuko walking by her.

"Morning," She greeted, "How come you weren't at school on Saturday?"

"S-Sorry," She smiled weakly, "I've been busy. Are you still up for the flute lessons?"

"I should be asking _you _that!" She replied with a slight chuckle. "However, I can't do them today..."

"Why not?" She asked Fuko with a whine.

"I have other things to do." She replied, "Homework to be exact. I'm not done with it, so I won't be able to start off lessons next week. However, I'm always free to talk near the Station. Should be fun, right?"

"Yeah..." Daedalus nodded, but then began to run inside.

_*Ding, Dong, Ding*_

"Shoot!" Fuko replied, "We're gonna be late for class, let's go!"

...

Daedalus spent her day talking with some of her classmates and helping them on classwork. She even got some of her own out and began to work on it so she wouldn't have to worry about it if they went to Tartarus that night. She had questioned herself about Chidori, because in a way they were similar. They hated sharing each others feelings, and they both attempted to summon their Personae for a reason. However, Dae was still very different from her, but she wanted to learn _more _about Chidori.

"Hey, Dae-chan." Yukari walked up to her, "Are you gonna walk home alone today?"

"Yes, but..." She smiled, "I'm going to be visiting Daira after school. I said I'd help her with many things, but working in the shop is the top priority."

"Dae, you're only 14." Yukari put her hands on her hips, "You can't actually _work _there."

"I didn't say I was going to actually work." Dae sighed, "I'm just going to be working around as well. Plus, I owe her... She knows about the Shadows, but she can't access them alone. The Chairman knows her, and-"

"You're a smart cookie." Yukari spoke, "Well, if you need someone to talk to, you can count on me."

"By the way..." Daedalus got up from her seat, ignoring all her papers. "I'm sorry for being... I mean, I'm sorry for acting the way I did. I'm sorry I tried to summon my Persona on everyone..."

"Dae..." Yukari looked at her with sympathy.

"Can we just forget about it?" She pleaded, "There are some memories in my mind that I just want to erase..."

"...Of course." Yukari slightly hugged her, "See you at the dorm."

As Yukari walked out the room, Daedalus began to put her things up. She felt the necklace she hid under her school bow begin to glow a bright pink. She obviously knew that the Link she had with Yukari seemed to be going well, despite the somewhat bad start they had together.

Come to think of it, it was _Yukari _that stopped her from doing anything bad in the first place. Dae began to make a promise to herself that she would help Yukari in many ways besides fighting Shadows.

"Ah! Daira-san!" She began to get up from her seat and run off outside since the school day ended. She didn't wanna daydream in the classroom like she used to.

...

Daedalus walked over to the Paulownia Mall without any hesitation. She slung her book bag over her shoulder, and began to walk closer to the mall. As she walked inside, she just winced when she saw the fountain. All she could remember from looking at that thing was all the blood.

"A-Ah! Daira!" Daedalus turned to the direction of Lolita Gothix. "Are you closing already?"

"Oh, Dae-chan." She turned around, "No, I just got it opened. I was coming out to look for you to see if you were coming today. I'm going to need some help since today I'm having a big sale."

"Oh, you got more customers?" She asked in curiosity.

"Right." Daira nodded, "Besides, I wanted to hang out with you for awhile. It's been awhile since we actually had fun together."

"R-Right!" Daedalus jumped with joy, "By the way... Have you found out the exact date you're closing down?"

"November 12th." Daira replied, "On the 11th, I will be packing up my stuff at the house. I will also be DJing at the Club from then on out."

"And school?"

"I'll get that figured out somehow," Daira replied, "It's only a few months away, but I'll make it through."

Daedalus walked back in with Daira as they cleaned up the shop. Dae began sweeping the dust from the floor, and Daira was setting up new merchandise in the shop.

"So, how is it with Sanada?" Daira said bluntly.

"W-What do you mean?!" Daedalus was red with blush. She thought she could get away with Daira's remarks about Akihiko being her boyfriend. Though, she shouldn't really be bothered now. She should be more focused on Chidori, who could've came from Strega.

"I mean, I heard Shinjiro came back to SEES." She replied, clearing off some shelves. "What, you thought I was talking about your crush on him?"

"S-Shut up!" She looked away in annoyance. "A-Anyways, it's nothing really special. He ignores me, and only talks when he wants answers. I only know about October 4th's incident, but nothing else. He's changed..."

Dae sighed before continuing to sweep the floor. She had so many thoughts on how their little "Reunion" could make a turn around and bite her right in the ass. Though, Daira smiled at her little cousin. She may have been doubtful, but there was no doubt that she wasn't as shy as she used to be.

"...How's your Darker Half coming along?" She asked Daedalus unexpectedly.

Daedalus stiffened. She turned to Daira with a horrified look written all across her face.

"H-How did you-"

"Overheard your two friends." She replied, "I knew about it before. However, I've been hearing lately that it's been trying to kill you..."

"Um, well-"

"Daedalus Tavi, why aren't you doing anything?!" She began to scold her deeply, "If this keeps up, you'll really suffer a horrible death!"

"D-Death..?" Daedalus gulped with fearfulness shown in her eyes. "What do you-"

"You have a spirit residing in you that wants to _kill _you, Dae!" Daira held her by the shoulders and shook her a bit, "You need to save yourself, before it gets worse."

"...My dreams..." Dae whispered.

"What?"

"My dreams have been corrupted due to her..." Daedalus sighed, "But... I have a feeling she doesn't wanna kill me."

"Dae, you need to remember that taking care of yourself comes before others." Daira continued, "Your soul will relinquish itself and permit itself to be used against your friends..."

"..." Dae could not comprehend what she said so easily. Not because she wasn't smart or anything, but the fact that it was the truth. She began to move her arms to the point that she could clutch the shirt that Daira was wearing. In a second, Daira let go of her pale shoulders. The snow-haired girl nuzzled her neck into her cousin's, and began to shiver from beginning to cry.

Not that she wanted to, but all the pain she had felt since Day 1 killed her inside. Sesshou, who's name she hadn't revealed to anyone so far, came into her mind again. However, something was wiping it away... something warm.

_'Thou art I... and I art thou...' _That voice again. The voice that sent the messages into her head. Daedalus blinked, only to find herself looking around a gray environment. Time seemed to stop everywhere she looked, which made it more creepy. She didn't move her feet, though.

_'Thou hath taken the Moon Social Link to it's full bloom...'_

_'Full bloom?' _Daedalus had her interest piqued , _'What could it mean?'_

_'Thou wist thy heart ask thee many questions...'_

Daedalus just held onto Daira as tight as she could. She felt the necklace shake from in between them, a Prussian blue beginning to glow from the small chest she had.

_'Whither thou goest, shalt I go? To answer that question shalt give the power of the Blackbullet Clan.'_

Daedalus flinched at the word Blackbullet. She didn't know why, but she somehow felt that it connected with her in many ways.

_'Henceforth, ye hath established an unbreakable vow.'_

The necklace flipped over automatically, and behind one of the carvings in the wing a Black Feather flew onto it and canceled out all the energy that was forcing it's weight on her.

The world returned to normal, and Daedalus was still clutching onto Daira with the last of the tears that had dried up during that moment.

...

That night, Daedalus walked home alone. She had so many questions that needed to be answered now, but even more that still weren't clear to her. Indeed, Persona was a mysterious power that not many could comprehend very well, but she still felt queasy about what she heard today. An unbreakable bond... Did that mean that the bonds she shared weren't unbreakable already? As if it weren't enough, what was it with the whole grayed up scene in her eyes. Or was it not _just _her eyesight? She examined the white necklace to see the tip of it have the black feather that appeared before her. This couldn't have been just a dream, because during the Full Moon, stuff that happened might have connected with what happened.

Suddenly, Daedalus felt her breathing become raspy and faint. Her throat felt as if it were closing up, and she was coughing harshly. She fell on her knees and began clutching her chest and coughing up blood. She then saw Sesshou appear in a split second, her hands around Daedalus' throat.

"H-Help... me..." Daedalus whispered as she began to let out yelps. She felt like she was being tortured, no, she _was _being tortured. Sesshou disappeared, but the pain was still there.

As if timing was right, a boy ran up to Daedalus and placed some pills into her tiny mouth. It was pitch black outside, but she could easily tell it was Shinjiro after a few minutes. His face was filled with concern, despite the fact that he gave the glare he always gave people.

"S-Shinji-kun..." She whimpered, "S-Shinji..."

"I can't believe it had to be _you _of all people to have to take suppressants as well..." He gave a long sigh before picking her up onto her feet. "Damn it, what have I done..?"

"Shinji-kun...?" Her eyes had a grateful look, but also worried.

"Suppressants." He replied, "They're pills to take to keep a Persona like yours from killing the user."

He took her hand and placed a pill on her palm. It was small, but she could still see it even in the dark. She gave it back to him, and he placed it back into her pocket.

"Taking them once in awhile will stop her from trying to attack you," He continued, "However, seeing how hostile she was right now, it's best you take them everyday."

"..." Daedalus wiped the remaining blood on her lip from when she coughed up the red liquid. She really was grateful to him, since he had just saved her life like Akihiko did when she was younger.

"Before you go to school in the morning, I'll give you the same number of pills I did tonight. You won't have to worry about it at school... Somehow." He said after a short silence. "Don't tell anyone I'm giving you these, though..."

"...O-Okay..." She didn't know what she was getting herself into, but she had to trust the man she called her friend. If he didn't come to her within seconds, she could've died from being strangled.

Somehow she was expecting a message in her head, but she decided it wasn't coming and shrugged it off.

...

Later that night, Daedalus was asleep in the Dark Forest that Sesshou held under her control. The atmosphere was a dark green, and the place began to look more like a swamp than anything else. The last of the trees that were as healthy as a Cedar, had broken down and died. The swamp water had risen up to most of the land, and a dark brown fog surrounded the place. Dae felt the presence of the whipping black vine begin to wrap around her whole body. This startled her, because once she woke up she felt pain jolt through her small limbs. She saw Sesshou glaring down at her with a nasty look that could kill anyone in a second. A knife was in her right hand, and she was touching the tip as if she were making sure it was sharp enough to stab with.

"I'm surpised to see _you _here again, Tavi." She replied with a snarl, "Especially after what you've _done _to me."

"W-What do you mean..?" She grunted, trying to struggle to get out the vines as quick as possible. Sesshou was going to come at her, she _knew _it from the bottom of her heart that Sesshou wanted to kill her. She knew Sesshou couldn't kill her, but she knew that demon inside her wanted to kill her, she could sense it from the tone in her voice.

"Don't you get it, you imbecile?!" She snapped her fingers to get Dae closer to her using the vines. She placed the knife under Daedalus' small neck, and pushed her face closer to the semi-traumatized girl. "Those suppressants... They're tearing me apart, and I've been dreading them since he first put that damn pill into your mouth. You've also finished a Social Link, I see..."

"Keh..." She whispered to her Darker Half, "I-I don't even know... I don't have any ideas about what's going on!"

"Really, now?" She took the knife from under her neck and placed it lightly on her cheek. It felt cold, pointy, and one shake could probably stab her easily. She snapped her fingers again after removing the knife and slapped Daedalus as if she were scolding a puppy.

"You're a fool to think that I wouldn't know..." Sesshou kicked her again, "Though, it won't be long now."

"What do you mean...?" Daedalus looked at her in worry.

"Oh... The suppressants have side effects to them.." She chuckled darkly, "It's up to you to figure out what they are."

"What do you mean Side Effects!?" Dae struggled to get off the ground with her own two feet. The strike she got on her cheek still stinging from before.

"Why should I tell?" She smirked, looking at her knife in interest.

"..." Daedalus didn't know how to answer that. She pondered for an answer, and when she finally came up with one, Sesshou was running her direction with a knife.

"How did-?!" Daedalus saw her coming up at close range; she used her arm to block the knife that was coming directly towards her face. With as much strength as she could use, she grabbed one of her Darker Half's arms and tried to stop her. The Darker Half still managed to make a cut on her right arm, and have her howl in pain. When Sesshou stumbled over onto her back, Dae grabbed her arm to keep the blood from flowing so much.

_'This isn't real... is it?' _She asked herself, soon feeling the pain come into her necklace as well. _'If it is, why couldn't I do this last night...?'_

Sesshou growled in anger, but got up onto her feet and turned her back at the Lighter Half.

"I went easy on you this time..." She began, "Next time we meet like this, you're _definitely _screwed."

With that, Sesshou disappeared with the fog becoming thicker and thicker. Daedalus sighed, and fell back onto the wet and squishy ground. She began to close her eyes again, and attempt to return to her normal dreams so she would not be so tired in the morning.

But something... _Something _bothered her to the point that she took awhile to fall asleep.

* * *

**_Another short chapter, I know, but I was kinda running out of Ideas and the Social Link was pretty short._**

**_Also, thanks to Cannibal Plant Zetsu for reading and reviewing all my chapters, as well as having an awesome guess on what was going to happen in this chapter. And, a Thanks to my friends Elexis and Michael for reading this story and giving me praise and suggestions. It's really helped alot._**

_**Happy New Years, everyone! Hope everything starts out okay!  
**_


	17. Marked

**Chapter 17 - Marked.**

Daedalus was daunted by the pain she felt the next morning. She felt like she was hit with a baseball bat, then a frying pan, and all the blood was draining from her head. No, she couldn't have been hit, it was probably because of the Nightmare she had last night. When all was well to her, she began to try getting up from the bed, but began to groan in pain.

_'Maybe not!' _She told herself in thoughts, she looked around only to find a gash on her right shoulder. She saw her hands filled with fresh, but dark red blood. Her eyes enlarged as she saw the blood beginning to fall on her pajamas that were just plain white. She hopped off her bed and ran off into the bathroom to get the first-aid kit. She pulled out the bandages and wrapped it around to her elbow. It slightly hurt, but she didn't care. She didn't want to show SEES what had happened! They'd be too worried about her wellness, and not concentrate on their Operations. Besides, she didn't want to even _talk _about it to them.

That's when she felt her stomach began to churn. She began to shake as if she were going to explode, and covered her mouth quickly. She ran to the toilet, only to hurl out _more_ blood from her small mouth. She just figured out one of the side effects Sesshou was talking about from before. Once she brushed her teeth and got dressed for school, she opened her door to the room to find Shinjiro standing by her door. He grabbed her palm and placed three small, but tiny white pills into her hand.

"These are for you." He told her, "Like I said, I'd give them to you in the morning."

"T-Thanks." She took them hesitantly, and placed them into her mouth to take. After swallowing them, she took her bag and began to walk out the room as quick as possible. She pondered on whether to ask about the suppressants to Akihiko, but thinking about what Shinji said last night, she decided to keep it to herself. While walking outside the room, she spotted Junpei about to walk out the door with Minato.

"H-Hey!" She waved at them as she came down the stairs. She stumbled over her feet for a second and ran down the stairs to greet the two boys. Minato waved, and Junpei only flashed a small smile. "Wait for me!"

"Yo, Dae-Dae." Junpei greeted with a certain tone on him. Something was different about it, as if he was more saddened than happy.

"I-Is something wrong, Junpei-san?" Dae looked at him in worry.

"Nah, don't worry about it." He answered back, but honestly, Dae could tell he was lying. She just decided not to say anything.

...

As they got into the school, Daedalus was easily greeted by Fuko. She went onto class and listened intently for any notes that she might've missed. However, she couldn't really concentrate because of what her fellow classmates were doing. Aigis looked like she was staring into space, while Yukari was writing a note. Junpei was busily looking at the wall, and Daedalus saw Minato with his head down and slightly snoring. She giggled slightly before continuing to work. Though, she saw that once Junpei had gotten focused again, he was struggling on translating a sentence from Japanese to English.

Daedalus nudged him slightly with her pencil, and he just turned to her.

"It translates as 'I can listen to music everyday.'" She whispered as quietly as possible.

"Oh, thanks.." He smiled lightly, while continuing to write it down.

The bell rang as soon as he finished it, and once Dae got up from her chair, she noticed Junpei walking out the door to be the first one of the group to end the school day.

"Where are you going, Junpei-san?" She asked curiously. Her eyes were filled with sadness.

"I'm sorry, Dae. I'm going to go visit Chidori at the hospital." He replied, "I-I'll be back at the dorm later..."

Dae sighed and nodded signaling him to go off. She then noticed Aigis looking at Minato intently, and Yukari just watching _Aigis._

"He's still asleep, huh?" Dae asked.  
"Yeah." Yukari replied in an emotionless tone.

"Affirmative." Aigis didn't take her eyes off of him.

Daedalus walked over to Minato and looked at him from above. She took her hand and carefully placed it atop the Blue-haired teen who was snoring lightly so they could hear.

"Minato-kun..." She whispered in a sing-song voice, "Aigis-san is watching you..."

"_What?!_" He rose his head up as soon as he heard her. Then looked at Dae smiling down at him still. "What the-"

"You're finally awake." Dae pointed out, "You were asleep the whole class. I decided to wake you up, since I'll be going out today."

"Is that it?" He sighed, "Well, thanks for waking me up."

"Dae, are you alright?" Yukari looked at her in concern, "Lately, you've been looking nervous."

"H-Huh?!" Daedalus looked up at her, and rubbed the injured shoulder as if it was nothing to worry about. "Don't worry about me. You guys should go out and have fun!"

As she walked out the room with a nervous look on her face, Yukari wondered at where she was going and decided to follow her.

...

Daedalus ran up to the Nagaraki Shrine and took out some bandages with her schoolbag. She lifted up her shoulder arm and felt the injury as if it was still fresh and burning into her skin. When she unwrapped her first bandages, she noticed the scar had a large "S" and lit up whenever she touched it. She winced when she wrapped the bandages around her arm, every wrap made her arm begin to feel pain to the point where it went numb. As she was finishing up the wrapping, she heard a voice that was too familiar for her own health.

_"Dae?! What's wrong with your arm?!"_

She dropped the bandages onto the rocky floor and whipped her head around slowly to find Yukari with her brown eyes fixed onto the arm that she was wrapping.

"Y-Yukari-san!" Daedalus flinched when she found out that Yukari was watching what she was doing for afar. At least... she thought she was.

"What's wrong with your arm?" Yukari knelt down to her height, "Why didn't you tell us?"

"I-I don't want people to give me sympathy." She grabbed the bandages and finished up what she was doing by cutting off the loose strip. "I got this while I was asleep. This happened when my Darker Half slashed me with a knife in my sleep."

"We need to tell everyone-"

"No!" Daedalus refused almost immediately. "P-Please, Yukari-san! Don't tell them!"

"Why not?!" She asked in shock, "You're the one being hurt, not us!"

"I just said I didn't want sympathy..." She sighed in sadness, "Please, Yukari-san, I don't want anyone to worry."

"..." Yukari brought Dae into a strong embrace because she knew deep down that Dae was hurting so much inside. Maybe her emotions weren't readable before, but now that she joined SEES they've been acting up for her.

Daedalus lightly blushed because she remembered that feeling she had gotten only a day ago from Daira. No, she knew whether Yukari was going to be a Maxed Social Link or not, but she predicted that it _was _going to max out sooner or later.

The necklace again began to illuminate her chest with a bright pink. Yukari pulled back and focused at it without saying a word. Dae felt the power grow within her, at least, _slightly_. Once all of the events ended, Daedalus looked at Yukari with a moritifed look on her face. Yukari just lightly smiled.

"I'm not saying it's right..." She began, "But, I won't tell them."

"_Really?!_" Daedalus' mouth dropped in front of her, hope beginning to gleam.

"Mhm." She replied, "Now come on, let's go back to the dorm."

...

Once Dae got back to the dorm, she noticed Shinjiro, Koromaru, Ken and Aigis being the only ones there.

"Hey, where is everyone?" Daedalus was about to ask, but instead she said. "So, they're still looking after Chidori, huh?"

"Mhm." Shinjiro grunted a response while eating. Ken barely nodded, and Aigis was watching Koromaru eat.

"Junpei's been going over there alot." Fuuka was walking downstairs as soon as she heard them come in. "He shouted out to us that he couldn't stop thinking about her."

"I see..." Daedalus began to walk up the stairs herself, "I'm gonna go do my homework upstairs."

She gave Yukari a notice not to tell them, and Yukari just lightly nodded. Once she waved good night to the others, she quickly ran off. Though, she didn't even notice Shinjiro right behind her once she was going into her room.

"What's up with _you_?" He asked her in annoyance. His breath smelt of beef or chicken, which was probably what he was eating.

Dae turned, "N-Nothing. Though, I wanted to ask you something."

"What?"

"Those suppressants..." She began, "Side Effects? W-What am I-"

"Don't worry about it." He replied, "They're just... _minor_. Like coughing or sneezing."

"Um, I coughed up _blood _this morning." She whispered so loud that only he could hear. "I'm afraid of being harmed just by _this_."

"..." He turned his back to her, "Just get some rest."

"Wait a minute.." She whispered, but it eventually grew louder. "Wait a minute!"

She ran not even five steps and grabbed his hand to try and pull him back. He indeed stopped, but looked back at her with a sharp glare that said 'Leave me alone...'

"You didn't tell me anything..." She replied. "Spit it out, Shinji-kun."

"I don't owe you anything!" He snatched his arm back from her. "Look, I saved your life, didn't I?"

"But, I didn't know about the Side Effects til' now!" She was about to yell at him again, but stood there in silence as Shinjiro began to walk off.

...

Daedalus felt where the scar was again, but this time pain didn't seem to hit her. She began to ignore it and work on the homework she was assigned, but then stopped and pondered for a few minutes.

She pondered about Daira's Social Link. Blackbullet Clan...

"Blackbullet." Dae whispered, "Just what does it all mean? Why is everyone hiding something from me...?"

She tilted her head to the book that Daira had given her from before.

_'Oops.' _She thought to herself, _'I just left that thing on the floor..'_

Though, even when she tried to think about something else, the word 'suppressants' would come to mind. She was thinking too hard, and soon got up to bring the pillow from her bed. She lazily changed into her Pajamas, and fell asleep on her desk; the homework still laid out on the desk.

* * *

_**Very Very Short Chapter, and I apologize for the wait! I wanted to wait until Chapter 18 because there's a "big" event that happens there. However, I spaced out alot on this Chapter and therefore ran out of ideas. So, here's Chapter 17!**_

**_Daedalus & Daira Tavi, with the addition of the 'Blackbullet Clan' (C) Me~_**

**_Persona 3 (C) ATLUS  
_**


	18. Trust

**Chapter 18 – Trust.**

Daedalus awoke with a start the next morning. She rubbed her eyes with such force, that it looked like she was restless from last night. She remembered that she had fallen asleep on her desk coming in from school. Wielding your Persona was one thing, but having something that was basically killing you inside? Daedalus thought it was probably the answer to taking suppressants. Her mind began to focus on the knocking at her room's door.

"Daedalus," Aigis' voice echoed from behind, "Daedalus-san, it is time to go to school."

"Ah-" Dae quickly jumped off the chair and sprinted around her room for the necessary items she needed. After putting on her uniform and brushing her hair as quickly as possible, she picked up her fully loaded book bag and opened the door to greet her.

"Sorry about that, Aigis-chan." Dae began to blush in embarrassment. "I was just..."

"You have a letter from Shinjiro-san." She implied, giving Daedalus a small, white envelope. "Now, let's go shall we?"

Daedalus looked at it with such curiosity, that she stuffed it in one of the pockets of the bag. The suppressants seemed to take care of Sesshou, so she thought she didn't need them for at least one day. Besides, weren't they pills she _wasn't _supposed to be taking?

…

Daedalus wasn't feeling good the rest of the day at school. In fact, she had pain shoot through her body almost every minute of the day. She was clutching her stomach during lessons, but it hadn't gotten to the point where Sesshou was going to strangle her again. Yukari even mouthed a question on if she was alright, and Daedalus just nodded so she wouldn't be concerned. Though, inside, Daedalus began to hurt even more than usual now. She was groaning in pain, but bit her lip so she wouldn't shout out in class. As the bell made it's ringing sound to signal lunch, she rushed out the room and ran to the bathroom with nausea and soon threw up in the nearest trash can. Blood trickled down her mouth once she had finished, but for now she didn't care. The pain began to subside in her, so she shrugged off the pills that she left in the bag again and she looked to the side to see if she saw any of her classmates. Though, Yukari saw her walking out of the bathroom and walked up to her.

"Dae-chan, are you alright?" Daedalus looked up at her with a face drowned in misery. Yukari's eyes widened as she saw the blood trail still on her face.

"_Dae?!" _Yukari wiped it off with her palm and locked eyes with her. "Are you..."

"Yukari-san, I'm alright." Daedalus lightly smiled and put her head down so she wouldn't face her or look her in the eyes. "It usually happens... and I'm not afraid of it that much."

"What happened?"

"I didn't feel so good, and I basically vomited blood." She looked back up at Yukari with a partly truthful and a partly lying expression plastered on her face. "I'll be alright, okay?"

"Fine..." Yukari sighed, "By the way, Akihiko-senpai called."

"Huh?" Daedalus was puzzled by what she just said. "What's up?"

"If you want," Yukari began, "He wants you to come over to the Hospital to check out Chidori. I mean, you did stop her from attacking all of us. He wants to see how she'd react around you."

"Um..." She fidgeted as she became aware of the thought of seeing Akihiko with all these secrets hidden in her. Though, she had to think positive. Thinking positive would make her unsuspecting in front of SEES. "O-Of course. I'll go and check out Chidori. I mean, I have nothing to do after-school anyways, so..."

"Great." She grinned back at Dae. "I'll tell him in a text. Meanwhile, why don't you get something to eat?"

"Huh, okay!" She whipped around and began to run like a little eight-year-old running to get her lunch box from their mom or something. Yukari just giggled as she returned to class with her cell phone clutched tightly in her hand.

…

She walked down the stairs to the shop and found that an assortment of students were awaiting to get their lunch from the little shack in the school. She noticed Fuko giving out the food that was being served and smiled when she saw Fuko having a part time job in the school. She saw Fuuka and Aigis walking out of the line after getting their bread, with them exchanging waves of hello after seeing her in the line.

"Oh hey, Daedalus-chan!" Fuuka cheerily spoke. "Getting your food?"

"Of course." Daedalus nodded, "I didn't eat breakfast. In fact, Aigis had to wake me up this morning, hehe."

"It was only my duty to awake the members." Aigis implied, "It was nothing too huge to deal with."

"Anyways, Aigis will meet you back in the classroom with the others." Fuuka was holding her bread in her two palms. "I'll see you guys later."

"Okay. Bye, Fuuka-san!" Daedalus waved, but was soon pushed into a boy that was much taller than her. She was nudged in the back by someone behind her, and being in a crowd like this was really awkward. When she turned around to see who nudged her, she blushed at the fact that it was Akihiko also waiting in line to get something to eat.

"Hey." Akihiko waved.

"Oh, Hiko-kun!" She smiled, "How are you?"

"I've been alright." He replied, "That Chidori chick... she won't give us answers and Junpei won't quit visiting her in the hospital!"

"Hey, if you're in the building..." Dae thought for a second. She ignored what he said about Chidori...slightly. "How come you called Yukari-san?"  
"Wasn't able to make it to you in time." He replied, but his voice turned into a soft whisper that trailed to her ear besides all the noise. "So, I decided to call her. However, I need to tell you something in private. It's about Strega, but I'll tell you once we get our food."

"Well, okay..." Daedalus's sinking feeling now left her as she heard the name Strega. She had fear fueled up inside her, but hidden behind all that was a hint of anger that she had never received before. Until they locked her and the team in... until she found out they were stalking her... and even until she found out that _she_ was the murderer! She wanted to fight them and win, because of what they did to her.

"_Hey, Daedalus! It's your turn!" _Fuko shouted out after she left a gap in the line. She turned to see the girl waving to get her attention, and quickly ran up to the line. She quickly spoke with Fuko on the Flute lessons, and Fuko had replied about them being given later on in the year. Daedalus sighed because of this, but she knew that if it had to be postponed for another time, then so be it. She had easily gotten the meat bun (she has not had meat in awhile), and waited for Akihiko patiently out of the line. She barely opened it to look at the tan, yet well-cooked bread in her palms. When Akihiko came out the line to join her, whispers from some of the students were from an earshot of Daedalus, but Akihiko simply ignored them.

"Come, let's go." He spoke, taking her hand and pulling her upstairs to the classrooms.

…

"_Huh?" _Daedalus was listening intently at what Akihiko said, "Since when-"

"I don't know why, but Junpei apparently has feelings for that girl." Akihiko replied, "There was also something I wanted to talk to you about..."

"Besides Strega?" Daedalus wondered about him.

"Besides Strega, but..." He walked closer to Daedalus to whisper in her ear. "You've heard about October 4th right?"

"I remember you kinda told me about it, but what-"

"It's about Ken Amada." He interrupted her, "Shinjiro's Persona went out of his control and... killed Ken's mother..."

"Oh my... Is that why-"

"It's why he's strayed away from us..." Akihiko replied, "It's why he wouldn't join SEES again."

"..." Daedalus began to take herself in thought. Shinjiro probably didn't mean to, but she didn't know the full details. "Is... Is there anything I can do for them?"

"It still doesn't feel right that Ken Amada joined our team..." Akihiko sighed, "Take care of him for me, will you?"

"It's my duty to protect everyone!" Daedalus chuckled, "Of course, I'll protect him."

The bell began to ring, and that made Dae jump in shock.

"Oh, snap!" She shouted out, "I need to go back to class now!"

"Dae-Dae, you haven't eaten_ anything_!" Akihiko sighed, worried about the teenager's health.

"I'll be fine, really..." She smiled weakly, but quickly went out of the empty classroom that they entered to talk. Her smile faded when she ran back to the classroom, because she thought about one thing in her mind now.

_'I need to tell him about the suppressants sometime...' _She made a long sigh while talking to herself. _'If keep them a secret within a longer period of time, he'll _never _trust me again!_'

…

Daedalus shuffled in her seat as she longed for the class to come to a close. She had to think: The Hospital was where she first met them all... This is where she woke up and saw Akihiko again, and she had the warm flow of memories come back to her. Though, when the bell rang again, her daydreaming came to a close when she saw Yukari poking her in the head.

"Hey, Akihiko-senpai will be waiting for you, Dae!" She chuckled as she saw Daedalus look up at her with a curious look on her face. Minato walked up to them after he got up from his chair.

"I'll be heading back to the dorm early." He added, "So, if you need me give me a call."

"Got it." She got up from the desk and walked to the exiting door of the quieting murmurs of the classroom. She walked down the normal stairs after saying goodbye to Fuko and Fuuka, and went to get her book bag out of the locker. She dug into the pocket where she had placed the package of suppressants, and looked at the envelope in sadness.

_'Just a few more days...' _She whispered to herself, and placed the letter back into a different pocket. _'In just a few days...I will tell Hiko-kun about these... I swear!'_

She looked around for any people that were just staring at her, closed her locker, zipped up her small bag, and ran out of the building to start looking for the hospital. Though, it wasn't even ten minutes until she got tired from running outside the school's gate entrance.

"Haa..." She panted, talking to herself. "Let's see... Tatsumi Port Hospital... Tatsumi Port Hospital..."

She began to walk to the center of the island to ask some people where the Hospital was. After finally getting some answers, she sprinted as fast as possible to the largest building she could find.

That wasn't the biggest problem though. Once Daedalus got into the hospital, she had to ask for directions to Chidori's room. There were many names starting with the "Chi" Kanji, which took a few minutes until they looked up the name 'Chidori Yoshino.'

"How many people are in the room at the moment?" Daedalus wondered if they were there now. If there were more than two, then she kept a thought in her mind that Mitsuru could have been there at the same time as well.

"There are currently two people excluding the patient at the moment, honey." The lady at the counter was helping her find the room without impatience.

"That's it, alright..." She said to herself, then nodded at the lady. "Thank you, ma'am!"

With gratitude given, Daedalus ran to the elevator with her bag in hand. It was time to go meet Chidori again, but she wouldn't be alone since she had her teammates by her.

…

The elevator didn't take too long to get to. The hospital was a pearly white, and contained many people that were sick and in need of help. Daedalus knew this, because she was once like this and had only gotten out due to SEES. She tried not to think about the worst case scenario if they never saved her, but she had all these events that occurred in her life. Being in a hospital was not one of her goals on the To-Do List locked somewhere in her head.

Once Daedalus got to the floor she needed to be at, she saw Junpei beginning to walk ahead of her.

"Junpei-san?" Her voice had him turn around and smile.

He was holding something extremely close between his right shoulder. Though, his smile was very sincere and didn't seem like it could go away after awhile.

"Hey, Dae-chan." Junpei looked prevaricated. Daedalus slowly walked up to him and looked into his soft brown eyes with hesitation. His smile was truthful, but his eyes lied... What was this all about?

"Coming to see Chidori, too?" He asked, ignoring her cutesy glare.

"O-Oh, yeah..." Daedalus scratched her head, "Hiko-kun wanted me to come check on Chidori, too. This is the first time I've been at the hospital in awhile."

"I see..." He took her hand and pulled her along with him. "Come on, I'll show you where the room is, alright?"

"W-Whoa!" She was surprised by the sudden grip, but she nodded and followed him to the end of the hallway. Akihiko was standing inside the room with Mitsuru, but turned when he heard footsteps walking into the room.

"H-Hello, everyone." Daedalus simply let go of Junpei's hand and waved. "It's been awhile since we've... actually talked, Senpai."

Mitsuru turned to her and smiled lightly.

"Indeed it has, Tavi." She spoke after a few minutes, "How have you been?"

"O-Okay..." She lied, but then turned to Chidori. "Um...It's been awhile, C-Chidori-san."

Chidori said nothing. She gave Daedalus a cold stare that made Dae shiver whenever she tried to look into the girl's eyes.

"Yo, Chidorita." Junpei gave a cheesy grin as he looked at Chidori. She groaned in irritation.

"Don't call me that..." She replied. Her voice in a whisper...that was pretty different than all the rest.

"I brought you a new sketchbook!" Junpei ignored her aggravated look, "I thought your old one might be getting full, so..."

Daedalus listened to them talk and smiled warmly. Maybe she couldn't get along with Chidori, but Junpei sure could. He seemed so different than what he usually was like with SEES.

Her thoughts were then scattered when she saw Shinjiro open the door and walk into the room.

"Any luck?" Not even a greeting to the small girl.

"Talking? Indeed, but nothing useful..." Mitsuru replied.

"It is a start, though." Akihiko added, "By the way, why are you here...?"

"_Erg!" _Daedalus and Chidori both gasped out with pain. As if it were in unison, the two females both had their hands around their throat, trying to gasp for air.

"D-Dae!" Akihiko looked back at her as she slumped to the ground. So did Shinjiro, who couldn't stay calm for a few seconds.

"Chidori, what's wrong?!" Junpei cried out in horror.

Daedalus was choking...gasping for air. A Persona that looked like it had red skin appeared in a flash, and disappeared in front of them. Sesshou appeared again, a knife held between her teeth as she was ready to strangle Dae as if she was looking forward to revenge. Her throat began to feel tighter, and with one of her hands she dug into the book bag that was now on the floor to find the envelope. Shinjiro barely finished giving suppressants to Chidori, and went to open the envelope of them that he gave Daedalus.

"Tch!" Shinjiro took three pills from the papery package, and placed them into her mouth to swallow. Sesshou disappeared again, and all Daedalus could do was try to breathe again.

"Chidori!" Junpei shouted the red-head's name again.

"Relax, they're not like us..." Shinjiro turned his back to all of them, and Daedalus covered her mouth as she felt tears stream down the cheeks that were usually filled with blush. "They can't fully control their Persona... so they have to take suppressants to keep the "creature" from killing them."

Daedalus stared at Akihiko wide-eyed. She didn't even want to listen anymore now that her secret was found out.

"Suppressants..." Mitsuru was puzzled by this. "You know about Strega?"

Daedalus got up as quick as possible from the floor, and closed up her book bag with the suppressants envelope in her hand. She slung the bag over her shoulder and ran out the room with her whole face hidden in the hair she always had problems with. She heard a faint "Wait!", but refused to listen to the voice that she knew for so long. How was she going to explain this now?

…

Daedalus was out of the hospital after a few minutes. She panted to gain oxygen from running so much, and whipped her head side to side to see where she could run. Akihiko could catch her within seconds, but since she burst out so suddenly, it would take him a few minutes to find her.

She clutched the package into her arms and began to sprint after she caught her. Tears were running off her cheeks, but she wasn't making any noise to signal that she was around the place still. She couldn't ride the train to Nagaraki Shrine... it'd be too obvious.

"Ah!" She saw Paulownia Mall appear in her eyesight. "The back alley!"

She pushed past many people and tore through the groups of High School students that were talking with each other. She skidded to a stop though when she felt someone grab her wrist.

"Daedalus!" Akihiko shouted, "What the-"

Daedalus panted to try to calm down her beating heart. She couldn't afford to stare into his eyes, because she knew what she had done was wrong in the first place. If Shinjiro walked off after giving Chidori the pills, then he _must've _had a long talk with him. It took awhile for him to catch up with her – longer than it should've taken him.

Her palms were sweating, but she was clutching onto the pills in only one of her hands now. Akihiko was still staring at her in sorrow.

"W-Why...?" He stuttered, "Why are you hurting yourself..."

No response.

Akihiko grabbed her other wrist with all his might and turned her around to slam her into the nearest wall. He didn't mean to make her wince in pain, but he wanted her to quit running away from everything. Her head was turned away from him still, and his hands moved up to her shoulders. He squeezed them tightly to try and get an answer out of her, but all he got were the white pills dropping onto the floor.

"Agh..." She whined, "H-Hiko-kun, you're hurting me...!"

"_Answer me!" _His voice was cold-hearted. His glare was so similar to Shinjiro's at that very moment, that Daedalus felt like she was going to die at any minute.

"I..." She whispered, "I-I only took them... because... Shinji-kun..."

She couldn't finish the sentence when she felt Sesshou's mark on her arm as well. Akihiko saw her staring at the arm that was in pain, and lifted up the sleeve to see loose bandages covering her left shoulder.

"...And this...?" He let go of her and hid his face into his gloved hand. He was disappointed in her, and she could tell.

"T-That was...!" She held the shoulder where it didn't hurt or sting. "I-I only took those suppressants because of Shinji-kun...! I didn't mean-"

"Don't you get it, Daedalus?!" He screamed at her for the first time. "Ten years ago – my sister, the fire!"

Daedalus flinched at his voice when it was raised. She felt like she was surrounded by her father again in a way, but shrugged it off because she knew this wasn't her father.

"I wasn't strong enough to save her..." His voice trembled with fear, "I was held back while she..."

Dae stayed quiet while she listened to his story. He bit his lip because of the pain that he felt from the supposed incident.

"That's why I try so hard..." He continued, "It's why I try to become stronger... I don't want the same thing to happen to you! But, why the drugs...? Why couldn't you tell me anything?"

"I was afraid!" She finally cried out to him, "I-I was afraid you wouldn't accept me! I was afraid that you would think I'm a freak! I only took these because these have saved my life..."

Now it was Akihiko's turn to stay quiet. He was looking at her with widened eyes.

"Don't you know h-how I feel...?" She whimpered, "Don't you know what _I _have to deal with daily?! I have to fake a smile, when I _know _for a fact that I am dying inside! There's no way that SEES can help me now... I'm an outsider, just like Shinjiro was! I can barely go to school without worrying if this... this _spirit _will kill me at any moment! This is why I don't tell you anything, Akihiko!"

Daedalus had _never _screamed that loud at him. She had never used Shinjiro's full name, and very seldom did she use Akihiko's full name. This wasn't the same shy girl... She was fragile, but she could try so hard to defend herself with an argument.

"And this injury..." Her whole body was shaking now, "This injury is not an injury, but a mark... She _hurt _me physically somehow!"

She pushed Akihiko out of her way, and pulled down the sleeve that he had pulled up to check.

"If it wasn't for Sesshou, I could've been dead from letting myself starve..."

Daedalus turned her back to him and stomped off. She ignored the fact that her necklace was glowing. Both Shinjiro and Akihiko's Social Links had grown a bit as her stomps turned into speeding footsteps, and she buried her face in her own hands and ran back to the station bawling.

_Daedalus may have defended herself, but she sure thought she went too far._

_

* * *

_

**Woo! Sorry for the long wait! Chapter 18 is finally up, and I finally typed one part that I've wanted to type for so long! My laptop had died again (I probably said that), and the Desktop was system restored 3 times, so every time I typed out Chapter 18, it was erased.**

**I also recently got a project from Pre-Advanced Placement (or PAP) Language Arts. I am studying on Egypt, and therefore need more time to work on it than on Blackbullet. I also have homework I need to get through this weekend, so I'll take longer the next chapter.**

**Thank you for reading and I'm sorry for the long wait~ ^.^;;**


	19. And All This Leads to Cosplaying!

**Chapter 19 – And all this leads to Cosplay?! Seriously?!**

"_Take this!" _Daedalus bellowed as she used Garula to finish off one of the Shadows that snuck around the floor she was on. She had requested Minato to take only her to Tartarus to train. Minato had asked why, but she only answered to become stronger. Maybe she couldn't use her Persona, but she had to get stronger to fight in the later floors of Tartarus. Indeed, Minato watched over her, but she had also requested to fight some battles alone. Hesitantly, he replied yes, but now thought that not taking Fuuka was also a bad idea. They couldn't scan the attributes of the Shadows at some point, and Daedalus had to guess which skill she could use (which was kinda hard, because all she had was Garula and Mudo) as well as run away from Shadows she couldn't fight.

_September Fifteenth – The Dark Hour._

Daedalus ran across the room with some remaining energy, looking around for Shadows. It had been around four days since Daedalus had not spoken with Akihiko, and her anger was at a high level right then and there. Akihiko could never understand, nor would he _want _to understand. All her feelings were expressed through her power, and she hated being this way. When she got angry, she knew how oblivious she could become, but never stopped herself from doing so. She was always shy, and ignoring everything always made her cry in the end. Though, when it got between her and Akihiko, it was like a raging war in her heart that she was losing. Though, many of the members noticed how strong she was getting.

She wasn't stammering whenever she spoke, she was more easy-going when talking about her hobbies, but she was getting to the point where if something came up she couldn't talk about it at all to them. However, all she was really hiding was the Suppressants from the whole team besides Akihiko and Shinjiro. When another Shadow came to attack her, she blasted it with Garula again; her energy was running out fast.

"Daedalus, please take it easy." Minato requested, "How can you force your body like that?"

"I..." She began, catching her breath to continue the sentence. "It's not hard to force myself... I've done that too many times in my life to do so. I didn't care what happened to my body, so I continued to do so even if it wasn't with Schoolwork or anything of the sort."

She fell onto all fours with sweat drenching her face, all the while breathing with difficulty from that last attack. Minato ran up to her in shock as she coughed from lack of air, but she shook her head as if she was alright. She was pretty drowsy, and her arms ached from concentrating all her power on one Shadow.

"Daedalus, I think we should go already." Minato helped her up, but she snatched her arm back.

"No way." She cried out to him, "I need to... get stronger..."

She struggled on trying to get back up, despite the scratches she had. Her breathing became ragged, but once she saw another Shadow getting close to her, she tried to stand back up in a battle stance.

"Stop, Dae!" Minato grabbed her by the shoulders, and dragged her behind his back. He pulled out his Evoker and aimed it at his right temple. _"Orpheus!"_

Orpheus appeared with his deadly Lyre, sending a raging fire against the Shadow. However, it wasn't going to give up like the others of it's kind normally did. It grabbed one of it's four black arms, and smashed against Minato's body. All he did was grunt in pain, and topple over Daedalus.

"M-Minato-san!" Daedalus crawled on her knees to get close to him. Though, she saw it coming closer to the two.

Jotun of Power... a Hanged Man Arcana-type Shadow that they dealt with when they first came in. It's body was like a puppet with four arms and two legs. It looked very bulky as well, but it was so dark that the only thing that was colorful was his Arcana mask.

She got up onto her feet as quick as possible; her eyes were filled with fear. Minato got up as well, but just stared at her in awe.

"Daedalus, you can't handle it!" Minato warned, "Go!"

The Shadow was now running to ram into them. This last hit would finish off Daedalus for good, but she knew one counterattack to it.

She had to concentrate all her power into that glove she wears. Once she did, she'd hopefully be successful on destroying it before it exploded onto them. She didn't want to ignore orders, but this was their last chance.

"Daedalus-san, no!!" Minato screamed as the Shadow was about to slam into her...

...At least, he thought.

The Shadow stopped in his tracks as he looked at Daedalus in her battle stance. Her right hand was holding her left wrist, and she was bent down with her left hand wide open. A magic circle was forming around her body as her legs spread apart. Unlike other circles, hers was a purple colored circle that looked like the color of darkness. Her head was bent down in the same direction, but her hair went wild as sparks of thunder were now flowing around her body. Minato stepped back, unaware of what she was to become, but took a good look at the necklace she was wearing.

A pitch black color. The necklace was shaking as if it were out of control, and she lifted up her head to reveal a look that could scare Minato. Violet Eyes that didn't even _look _like the gleam of her normal soft ones. A silhouette of Sesshou came up from behind her as the Thunder was still bursting out to lash out at everyone or everything.

"_Zionga!!" _An Orchid aura surrounded her as the gem that was located on the glove cracked. She lifted her arm up with an electric ball charged up in her hand, and aimed it at the Jotun to obliterate it from existence. It slammed into the chest of the Shadow before it disappeared. The circle faded as Dae closed her eyes to regain control of her own body.

'_Normally, she'd fall unconscious for a few days..' _Thought Minato, who was looking at her body fall to the ground. He walked up to her small body and felt her pulse.

Still breathing, but he chuckled when she started snoring to signal she was asleep. The necklace quit lighting up, and Minato picked up Daedalus to take her out of Tartarus.

"Silly Dae," He chuckled again, but in half-worry. "You could worry anyone, and then end up falling asleep for the night. No matter though, let's take you back to the Dorm."

…

The next morning, Daedalus woke up in a ball. She had her back faced to her dorm room, and she was hugging her Jack Frost plush. Her eyes popped open, turning to her right and finding Aigis staring in her straight in the face.

"Good Morning, Daedalus-san." Aigis replied, "Minato-san has told me what you have been doing last night. For protection, Mitsuru-senpai will be keeping you home today."

Daedalus groaned in anger. She should've listened to Minato, since she could've gone to school that morning. Though, what was Aigis-

"_Aigis, come on!" _She could hear Yukari's voice from downstairs, "It's time to go!"

"I must leave now." Aigis replied, "It is time for us to go."

_'Thanks for pointing the obvious.' _Daedalus placed her Jack Frost plush down on the bed, and jumped off the bed. Though, she was more in thought than staring at what was in front of her. What kind of power was _that_? She basically had a dark energy burst out and kill something. She stopped thinking about it to run down the stairs to say goodbye to her classmates.

"Oh, Dae-chan!" Yukari looked back, "How're you feeling?"

"Like I wanna go to school today." She chuckled. "Really, though. I'm feeling fine."

She looked around the dining room to find Koromaru sleeping by Shinjiro's feet. She turned her attention back to the girls, right after though.

"Oh, and Dae?" Yukari sighed, "Y'know, I have to be forced to dress up as a Maid for that Cosplay thing."

"That sucks."

"But, here's the catch." Yukari had a widened smile, "You're going Cosplay shopping with me!"

"Huh?!" Daedalus blushed, "W-What do you mean?!"

"If I have to be a maid, you do too."

"Wait a minute-!" Dae held out her hand to tell her to stop, but Yukari closed the door right behind her. "Argh! This can't get any worse..."

Koromaru whined in sympathy for Dae, but she came down to pet him.

"Don't worry, boy." She chuckled, "I'll get out of it... somehow."

"_Arf!" _He replied in happiness, but then looked at Shinjiro with big, red, beady eyes. Dae could tell he was quite hungry, and wanted Shinjiro to cook him something.

"Alright, alright." Shinjiro got up from the chair, "Dae, you want something?"

"Um, okay." Dae was quite confused. Shinjiro wasn't his normally grumpy mood, so it was easy to get along with him. Shinjiro was going to the kitchen, and Daedalus was following right behind. Shinjiro only cooked her something once, but it was when they were younger.

They arrived to the kitchen when she noticed the pots and pans all around the place. Clean, yes, but quite different than others. It was smaller than her mother's kitchen, but she didn't wanna go back to those memories.

"What do you want?" Shinjiro asked her. She still noticed the glare on his face.

"Well, uh..." Daedalus thought for a second. Though, she shrugged when she didn't have an idea on what to eat. Shinjiro sighed in frustration for a second, but he thought as well.

"I'll just make you pancakes, then." He replied. Daedalus gasped in happiness, as she remembered when she first met them in the morning. She had gotten pancakes from him after she met the two, despite the fact that he seemed like he hated her when they first met. She personally thought that Akihiko forced him, but he was in denial when she asked him. She sat at one of the chairs that were by the kitchen and watched as Koromaru was fed first by Shinjiro. She giggled a bit when she saw Koromaru barking happily due to him getting special food. When Shinjiro turned his back to her again, he began to start conversation.

"I heard you fought with Aki." He began.

"I-I didn't want to tell him about the suppressants!" She cried out, "I couldn't...I couldn't hide it at all!"

She sighed with the feeling of hopelessness in her heart. She didn't want to yell anymore or tire herself out, but she really did wanna apologize to Akihiko somewhere in her heart.

"I understand, I knew from the start that you couldn't hide them." Shinjiro replied, turning only his head to the point where he could see her from the corner of his eye. "Aki can't keep a grudge on your forever, you know."

"B-But, Mitsuru-"

"Mitsuru said she can't blame you for your actions." He interrupted her, "She wouldn't tell the team til' you think you're ready."

"Thank goodness..." She replied in relief. She had avoided most of the team due to this. She even avoided Junpei, who tried to get closer to her even with Chidori on his mind. The past few days she had gone to the fountain in Paulownia Mall and looked at the water to watch her reflection. She only saw her younger self, and would walk away in depression. Why did all of this have to happen..?

"When you came back in with Minato last night, Akihiko was the one who took you into your room." He replied, "He said you were talking in your sleep. 'I'm sorry' and all that other apology crap."

Her face turned a little red at the comment. So he wasn't kidding about Akihiko not being able to hate her, but was he still mad? Her thoughts cleared when he placed some pancakes that looked almost the same as when she was younger. Buttery and brown, with some shrimp placed on top. These Japanese pancakes were her favorite way of being made, and she hadn't had them in awhile. Her head was pounding like if she was being punched in the head really hard, but she stuffed her mouth once she got a fork.

After a few minutes of chewing, she complimented on them.

"Still the same way I remember them..." She smiled with a pang of happiness in her heart. "Shinji, I've had a question for awhile..."

"Hm?" He turned to look at her while washing the dishes he had used.

"Akihiko..." She began, "Has he said anything big to you?"

"He was pissed at me, and even socked me in the face." He replied, "Though, he hasn't spoken a lot about the incident since the day it happened."

"I see..." Daedalus was still eating her pancakes, but listening to every word that came out his mouth. "I'm still pretty tired from the Dark Hour..."

"I can tell." He grunted, "You used most of your stamina last night."

"Heh," She only finished half of her pancakes when she got off the chair. "I'm going out with Koro-chan."

"Actually, my orders were to take care of you while the rest were at school." He stated. "I'm keeping you inside until that Yukari chick comes back."

"Fine." She folded her arms over her chest and huffed. "By the way... and don't say anything that I already know today. How come you aren't at school yourself?"

"..." He didn't answer her, and walked out of the kitchen after finishing the washing. He passed right by her while walking, and turned his head to face her.

"You're still young. Enjoy it while it lasts." His hand rustled her hair, and walked back to the living room. Dae had her face twisted in a way that told she was confused. Though she somehow felt that she'd know in the future.

…

"Alright, time to find you a costume!" Yukari had picked Daedalus up from the dorm after school was over. She had tried to pull away from Yukari's grasp to get her out of shopping, but had failed so far. Yukari was taking her torwards _Daira _as well! This was possibly the worse case scenario for her, because once Daira talked about cosplay, she couldn't shut up.

"No way...Yukari-san..." Dae was okay at looking at cosplay. However, she didn't want to be dressed like a maid for the Culture Festival. "I told you, I don't want to do it!"

"Well, I don't either!" Yukari sighed, "But, I promised that if I was doing it, I had to bring you into it."

Daedalus whined again, but she was more concerned about this morning. She had taken suppressants again, but she had no side effects after them. Did something happen to her body she was unaware about? Come to think of it, Sesshou hadn't bothered her in the past few days, either. So... why did Sesshou say such a threat the last time?

"_Welcome!" _Daira was cleaning off the tables. Her back was turned until she whipped around to see them. "Hey, Dae! Long time no see!"

"Daira-chan!" Daedalus smiled nervously.

"Hey, Daira." Yukari asked, "Wanna go cosplay shopping? It's for that Culture Festival at Gekkoukan High."

"Oh, those?" Daira chuckled, "Usually, I would spaz out about it. Since, I do anything with maid costumes, however didn't you hear about the Typhoon seeming like it's gonna hit?"  
"The one that might can the festival?" Yukari implied, "Yeah, I know about it. Though, I'm making Dae do it because _I _have to do it."

"Haha, nice." Daira jumped over the table with the cash register, and landed in front of the two. "Well then, let's get started!"

Daira pulled her and Yukari out of the store to go check out many of the shops with clothing in the mall. Daedalus was pretty much forced to take off costumes, and put on new ones if it didn't seem fitting. Though, they got to one that seemed to fit Daedalus completely.

Black lining was sewed under the fully white dress. There were long socks up to her ankles, regular maiden shoes, and white cuffs to go with it. The black vest and tie fit with the ribbons on her maiden crown on the head. Daedalus blushed at how this would've looked in front of the other members. It had only taken around 45 minutes for them to actually find a costume, but the price was off by a little due to the quality. Nothing else really happened, but Daira had rented it just for them. By the time they got out of the store, many of the guys that were around began to stare and comment in whispers. Daedalus began to blush and hide behind Yukari.

"Man, can I take these off now?" She groaned. Yukari was holding Daedalus' original bag of clothes, but she pulled them away when Daedalus tried to reach at them from behind.

"Nope!" Yukari chuckled, "You have to wear it all the way to the dorm!"

"No..!" Daedalus whined, but turned to Daira. "Are you coming with us?"

Daira squeaked in surprise. "Sorry Dae-chan. I gotta finish up working in Lolita Gothix. I can't back you up there, so you're going to have to be on your own!"

"Well, I hope you can hang out with us sometime, Daira-san." Yukari smiled in gratefulness, but then tugged on Dae's hand. "Come on, let's go."

"Ugh..." She groaned, "Now everyone's gonna laugh at me or think I'm 'cute...'"

…

"Hey, Fuuka." Minato was walking to the living room from downstairs. "'You know where Yukari is at?"

"Oh, Yukari?" Fuuka repeated, "She went out shopping with Daedalus. However, she told me not to spare the details, but it's going to have Dae actually _complaining_!"

"I don't see why." Ken was confused as well, "Why would she be doing that?"

They heard a knock from outside, but didn't answer. They were too interested into what Daedalus and Yukari were saying.

"_No!" _Dae's voice was high, _"Shinji-kun and Akihiko-kun are gonna laugh! Give me my clothes!"_

"_No way!" _Yukari taunted even more, _"I think everyone will think you look great!"_

"_Yeah, right..."_

"Um..." Fuuka chuckled, "Should we open the door?"

"We should, eh?" Junpei chuckled, "Sounds like something good just came up."

"Obviously Takeba and Tavi must be having a fuss out there..." Mitsuru even chuckled, and began to open the door. Though, she was pretty surprised on what she saw.

"Yukari-san..!" She kept jumping for her clothes, "Give them to me!"

"Nope, sorry!" Yukari stuck her tongue out to her. "Can't have 'em!"

"Give them-" Daedalus froze when she saw Mitsuru looking in shock. Though, not the shock that seemed fearful, but kind of... comical.

"Well, look who _we _have here!" Junpei came to the door, "Little Dae-Dae's in a dress! More so, she looks like a maid."

"..." Daedalus hid her face in her hands in embarrassment. She really did not wanna be seen in the dress, but was pushed into the dorm only to find _everyone _in the lounge/living room.

"It looks fine on you, Daedalus-san." Ken smiled, "Don't worry about it!"

"If you have about twenty boys eying you in Paulownia Mall, it is _not _fine..." She sighed, taking off the crown. "Yukari's gonna make me wear this if we have the actual festival."

"Looks good." Akihiko finally spoke after a few minutes. "I have no problem with it."

Daedalus had her head swipe to Akihiko's direction. He hadn't even talked to her in a few days, and was praising her on this?

"I have to admit Dae-chan, it looks like a perfect fit!" Fuuka said. "So, both of you will be dressing like this?"

"Sadly, yes." Yukari patted Daedalus on the head. Daedalus turned to Shinji, who said nothing that related to it.

Daedalus barely reminded herself that she was avoiding everyone. However, she seemed to ignore it when the necklace emitted a pink light.

Yup. Everything was A-OK _for now_.

* * *

**_Chapter 19! I was going to upload it last night, but I was never able to upload this & Chapter 20 due to the freakin' Server Errors it kept giving me. So, this chapter can be called a filler, but it really shows how Daedalus gets Zionga, and such._**

**_Daedalus & Daira Tavi (C) Me~_**

**_Persona 3 (C) ATLUS_**

**_P.S. I forget to do this, but the character Fuko Taourze is my FRIEND's OC. So, I keep forgetting to credit her on this. I also keep spelling it as "Yuko" like Yuko from the Kendo/Track/Swim(?) Team._**


	20. The True Memory

**Chapter 20 – The True Memory.**

Daedalus went to school the next two days only to find Fuko greeting her with uneasiness. Daedalus wanted to ask her what the problem was, but she shook her off by saying that it was "alright."

Daedalus refused to believe that, because she was fidgeting while they were walking in as well. She even went into Fuko's class during lunch to see what was up, and all Fuko really _was _doing was looking out the window and heaving huge sighs. Her hand was scribbling away on the notebook she held, and her instrument—which was in a black case, and looked like a guitar—sitting at an angle on the desk. Daedalus decided to walk into the classroom as silent as possible. Fuko was too melancholy to care, since she didn't even flinch when Dae walked up to her.

"F-Fuko...?" Daedalus asked in oddity. The atmosphere was pretty harsh. "I-Is something wrong?"

Fuko turned around to face her.

"It's about the Culture Festival..." She sighed, "My band and I were supposed to preform in front. However, the typhoon is coming true today, so people are going to be going home without setting up. Plus, I want the storm to clear up before the holiday ends. On Monday, September 21st, I will be preforming with an old Gekko High mate and someone from our School band. I mean, it is Respect for the Aged Day, but we planned on doing this in Club Escapade."

"21st..." Daedalus sat in thought, "Ah! Hik-er, a friend's birthday will be on the 22nd and I wanted to get him something. That means I'll still have something to do the day before!"

"Really? You'll come?" Fuko's face beamed with hope.

"Right." Daedalus smiled. "You want support, right? So, I'll give it to you while I can!"  
Fuko had a grin come across her face. "Thanks, Dae. I appreciate it."

The bell began to ring as the Senior Students began to flood the classroom again.

"Gotta go," Daedalus began shuffling out of the crowd, "Bye, Fuko-senpai!"

Daedalus felt her necklace glow a bright yellow, signaling that another Social Link had started _and _leveled! However, that wasn't the thing that bothered her after that talk.

She just remembered that today was the anniversary of when she, Akihiko, and Shinjiro had first met. It wasn't a typhoon, but there was heavy rain. When she got into her seat back in her room, she began daydreaming about that one memory. She could remind herself about it like if it was just yesterday...

* * *

_Daedalus was running. Running as fast as her eleven-year-old legs could take her. The rain was draining the life out of the city as she dashed away from her house. She slipped on the sidewalk when sliding on a corner, and scraped her knees when she fell into a puddle of water._

_The rain continued to soak her body right after it drenched her hair. She was huffing the little energy she had left, but she was dazed for a second. She knew she hadn't eaten in the morning, or at lunch. She was dehydrated, because she refused to drink the rainwater. Though, she couldn't give up... Not now..._

_She was trying to find shelter... trying to find a home where she could be loved. Her father didn't give a shit, and her mother was turning that way. She wanted help, but how?_

_She continued running off into the distance until she stopped in a specific spot where light was actually found. The moon was in it's crescent stage—forming into what seemed like a new moon. The light that shone from it barely made it's way towards Daedalus. Her face was now as red as a tomato, but not of disconcert. _

_She was getting sick from staying out too long; Her body was shivering as she continued her search. She was failing... Her life would be over in just a few minutes... It would be over..._

'Hey, are you alright?!' _A teenage boy walked up to her with an umbrella clutched into his hand. He had his hair cut short, and very messy looking. Her vision was getting blurry, but she thought he looked like an elder due to his gray hair. He wore a bandage on his nose as if he took a blow there. He put the umbrella over her as well as she fell to the ground with her eyes barely open. _'Hey!'

Daedalus knew what she had to now that she had only one connection to why Sesshou had transported to Gekkoukan. She needed more time to find out, but...

She knew in her heart that it now connected with that memory. As soon as the bell rang to end the day, she sprinted out of the room to go to her locker, and quickly get the things she needed. In just a few hours, the typhoon would bring rain to this city; Just like it did when she lived in her old town. She knew one way... one way to get Akihiko to talk to her. She had to repeat the past, because she knew he was sensitive to the past. After saying goodbye to Fuko, she began to head towards Nagaraki Shrine to concentrate her thoughts as she began to feel the rain trickle onto her face.

_'Hey...' The boy felt her forehead to find any symptoms. As cold as it was, she had a fever that didn't seem like it could go away in this rain. Daedalus was still heaving and shivering as a car rode by to splash her with water. The boy jumped away from it before it could hit him, but realized that was the wrong thing to do. When he walked back up to her, the palm of her cold hand clutched his fingers as if she were signaling something._

_'H-Hel...p...' Daedalus whispered the word from her mouth as she felt his hand pull away to grab her wrist. He tried to maneuver his hands around so he wouldn't get wet, but gave up and tossed the umbrella aside to get Daedalus onto his shoulders. Then, he heaved her up on his back as if he were giving her a piggy back ride. Before she fell unconscious, her arms wrapped around his neck and her face nuzzled into his hair. He picked up the umbrella swiftly, and began to run through the storm that seemed to get worse by the minute._

The rain had changed direction by wind, and was now hitting her square in the face as she ran up the stairs. The small drizzle had turned into the typhoon's damage, and it's rain was as harsh as hail. She slipped while walking up the shrine stairs, hitting her knee on the steps at once. She didn't care, and continued to walk up the stairs as fast as her little legs could take her. She had tears appearing again, just like she did when she was running across the streets.

_Daedalus hung on in her sleep as tightly as she could. The boy coughed to catch his breath in the rain, and was trying to get to his house as soon as possible. He heard Daedalus wheezing now, but it wasn't due to being sick. She was wheezing due to lack of water, or so he thought. Both of their bodies were soaking wet as the water continued to fall down on them. The umbrella was helping anymore, so he tossed it away. The umbrella was already old, but it became useless when it was ripped right in the middle. He turned his head left, then right. Once he found the street in the dark, he ran to the direction of the houses that began to pop up in sight._

_

* * *

_

"You weren't quick enough, huh?" Junpei had asked Minato as he came in as wet as a dog from a shower. Minato Arisato was shivering from the rain as well, but once he shook off most of the rainwater, he walked up to join the gang that was surrounded by the candle.

"Oh... Daedalus-san isn't with you..." Yukari had soft eyes that signaled her worry.

"What's going on?" Minato asked them all.

"A typhoon just hit, and it's supposed to be the biggest one on the record." Fuuka began, "However, Daedalus has not returned to the dorm for tonight, and it's already getting very late."

"I heard that Daedalus-san had ran out of the classroom as soon as the bell rang." Ken included something. "However, I don't see what the big deal is... She could get sick if she's not somewhere warm."

Junpei turned his head to Akihiko. "Senpai?"

"What?" Akihiko questioned.

"Did something happen today?" He continued, "Something involving you and Daedalus?"

"If I recall correctly," Mitsuru began, "Didn't _you _find Daedalus in a Thunderstorm three years ago, Akihiko?"

Everyone's attention turned to him.

"Well, yeah, but-" He stuttered. "Wait a minute..."

"I predict that Daedalus may be in some sort of state where she can only think of the past." Aigis implied.

"What?!" Yukari's jaw literally dropped. "Y-You mean she could be in the rain at this time of night?!"

Some banging was heard on the door. However, it wasn't the original knocking that told them that someone was coming in. It seemed like something urgent was happening, and that's when Mitsuru stood up to open the door.

Daira Tavi was standing outside the door with an umbrella tightly held in her hands. She was panting so hard, and her suit wasn't as soaked as most people had been.

"Um...yes?" Mitsuru was stunned at the girl that was now at their doorstep.

"Hey, Yukari-chan isn't that-"

"Daira Tavi." She finished Fuuka's question.

"Daedalus..." She panted, "I can't find Daedalus _anywhere_! Daedalus... Daedalus Tavi hasn't come by the dorm, hasn't she?!"  
"No, she hasn't." Shinjiro finally spoke up.

"Shit..." Daira swore to herself, "Then that really was-"

"Really was what?" Yukari overheard the teenager.

"I thought... I thought I saw a body sitting in the middle of Nagaraki Shrine!" She began to shout, "I thought that was Daedalus, but I wanted to come check here to see if it was just a random person. Though, it really was-"

"So Aigis was right!" Fuuka was horrified, "S-Someone needs to go and get her out of the storm! Someone, hurry!"

"Yamagishi, calm down." Mitsuru commanded. "Alright, we'll send someone to come help you with her. Akihiko, can you do it?"

"..." He bit his lip in hesitation.

"Please, Senpai..." Yukari begged, "She might be dying out there and we don't even know if she's able to move! There may be a typhoon, but it won't be hitting us for awhile."

He jumped off his seat and walked up to the door.

"Alright, Daira." He began to walk outside with her, "I'll come with you to assist."

"Thank you so much..." Daira replied, "You're Akihiko Sanada, aren't you?"

"Yeah, why?" He was puzzled at her question.

"You'll see once we get there." Daira ran ahead, leaving Akihiko in the dust as they went to the shrine.

* * *

'Are you...awake now?' _Daedalus fluttered her eyes half-open to find herself in a comfy, and warm room. Brown fit the atmosphere as everything seemed welcoming in the house. A normal living room, a normal bedroom... almost all that she desired. She turned her head to see the boy that had grabbed her earlier. He was wearing some nightclothes, and was preparing a hot towel for her forehead. He pushed her head to face the wall again and placed it on her, in which she hissed due to it being too warm but settled to the temperature. Daedalus had still not answered his question._

_'What were you doing in the rain, anyways?' He began to ask her, 'Don't you have a home?'_

_'…' Daedalus did not speak. She didn't want to talk about why she ran away from home right now, but if she wanted to stay, she had to._

_'I... I ran away from home.'_

_'Why?'_

_'I don't... I don't wanna live there anymore...' She whispered to him, 'It's scary... I don't wanna go back!'_

_The boy tended to her scraped knees. He didn't care much for the sofa being wet, just her being safe._

_'What's your name?' He asked after a few minutes._

_'D-Daedalus.' She replied silently. 'Daedalus Tavi...'_

_'Daedalus, huh?' He repeated, 'I'm Akihiko. Akihiko Sanada. How old are you?'_

_She sneezed for a minute. 'E-Eleven... I am e-eleven.'_

_'So young...' His mouth gaped open, but he picked up a long sleeve shirt and some boxers that were on the table. 'Listen, why don't you go take a shower? I have some clothes picked out for you, but they might be long...'_

_'Is it...okay...?' She wobbled when she tried to get up, and she took off the towel slowly. 'I don't wanna be a nuisance, Sanada-san.'_

_'You're still an adolescent.' He replied, 'You aren't a nuisance to anyone...'_

_

* * *

_

"Daedalus!" Akihiko cried out at the edge of his lungs. "Daedalus, wake up!"

The raindrops that trickled down his face fell on hers. Daira placed her head on top of her chest to hear her heartbeat, and it was slowing down _fast_.

"Daedalus-chan!" Daira began to pick her up from the upper part of her body. Akihiko the lower. "We need to get her back to the dorm!"

"The rain seems to be slowing down." He replied, "Let's take her back, though. She looks pretty tired out."

"Want me to put her on your back?" Daira asked him, "To get her out?"

"...Yeah." He replied, "Help her up will you?"

"Of course." Daira folded up the umbrella and propped Daedalus onto her back with ease. Daedalus must've felt it in her sleep, because she began to grab Akihiko's shoulders and bury her head somewhere comfortable. She was sniffling from a cold she was getting from staying in the rain for a long time. She mumbled something under her breath, both of which could not comprehend. Though, that wasn't the problem, they had to get Daedalus out of the rain as soon as possible.

* * *

**_So, according to MegamiTensei Wikia, Akihiko's birthday is on the 22nd of September. This means, that I'm probably going to make a Chapter of Blackbullet that deals with Daedalus getting him something for his birthday. Chapter was based on 'Asu no e Brilliant Road' by angela, because it has some meaning to Daedalus._**

**_This is almost one of the main points in the story, since this one memory hits a vital point her her mind later on. _**

**_Though, for now I will be taking a mini-break to update Links to Fantasy on DeviantArt. I will also be finishing up my research this time, so I won't have a lot of time to do anything. Thanks for reading so far on these 20 Chapters!_**

**_(No, I'm not discontinuing it.)_**

**_Persona 3 (C) ATLUS_**

**_Daedalus & Daira Tavi (C) Me_**

**_Fuko Taourze (C) My Friend, Elexis._**


	21. Disband

**Chapter 21 – Disband.**

_ 10:30PM..._

Daedalus was placed onto a Sofa with her heart beating slowly. It had never beat as slow as it was doing right now, but that was probably before the suppressants. Her arms were to her sides, and a wet towel was placed onto her forehead. Her eyes were shut tightly, and her cheeks were a darkened red. She was shivering even with the blanket over her body; it was a few hours after the incident in the rain.

"A...ki..." Was the last word she whispered when they had gotten back to the Dorm. Now, Akihiko was sitting on the opposite sofa with Daira. They had both agreed to watch her, plus Mitsuru refused to send Daira back out in the rain.

"Dae-chan..." Daira sighed as she looked at the helpless body. She had her hands clutching one another as she looked at Akihiko's expression.

Akihiko was pretty disappointed—probably not at Daedalus, but at himself. He had reached out his arm –as if he were touching Daedalus—but quickly pulled it back as if he didn't deserve to help her out. Mitsuru had stayed up for the night as well to watch over Daedalus.

"Akihiko," She finally spoke after an hour or so of silence. "You can go rest, now. Daira and I will take care of her."

"Sorry, Mitsuru." Akihiko smirked a bit, "I can't do that. I'm taking care of her for tonight."

"But, Akihiko." Mitsuru replied, "Remember, you need to conserve your energy."

"I'll be fine Mitsuru, I—.."

"_Un..." _Daedalus tossed and turned her head. Her eyes were half-lidded when she opened them. She stared at the ceiling for a few minutes, and kept asking herself if she was alive. She realized she was at the dorm once she turned her head to face Akihiko. Then she saw Daira... and Mitsuru...

"Hi...ko...-kun?" She whispered softly, sniffling a bit. "...Hiko-kun..?"

"Daedalus?!" Daira stood up in complete shock. She wanted to run over and hug her, but she wanted her to rest as well. "Daedalus-chan, you're okay?!"

"D-Daira-chan...?" Daedalus sneezed before continuing her sentence. "Why..? Why am I—.."

"Akihiko saved your life." Mitsuru walked up to her, "Well, both Daira & Akihiko did. Akihiko wanted to stay up even longer to take care of you."

"Take care..." Daedalus whacked her head to remind herself of the incident. Her eyes widened when she did. "Oh no, I worried _everyone_!"

She had attempted to lift herself up off the sofa, but had fallen back with the scrapes on her knees hurting. She turned her back to them, all the while hiding her face under the covers. She didn't want to talk anymore, because she feared they didn't _want to _talk with her anymore.

"Dae..." Akihiko stood up and walked to the sofa she was on. Her little body was trembling, but he lifted down the covers to see Daedalus' hair fall down the sofa. His gloved hand reached over to her shoulder, and lightly touched it. She let out a light gasp, before recognizing who it was.

"Daedalus, I'm not mad." Akihiko began, "I... I'm mad at myself. I should've remembered today was the day we first met. I would've gotten you before then, and I would've saved you from getting sick."

She turned her head around with a soft look in her eyes. She stayed quiet and listened to him, the half-lidded look returning to her face. Akihiko turned his head away as if the message wasn't getting to her. Though, he felt shocked when he felt her cold hand touch his cheek slightly with it's palm. She let out a small smile at him, as if all her worries disappeared. She let out a slight giggle, like little children usually did in happiness.

"Thank you..." She whispered, "You and Daira... and Shinji... were always there for me..."

Mitsuru smiled lightly as she looked down at her. She thought of something to say, and thought about saying it before.

"May I ask, Tavi?"

Daedalus took her hand away and looked at Mitsuru in confusion.

"Why?" Mitsuru continued, "Why didn't you come back to the Dorm right after school?"

"Well, after the whole thing about you guys finding out I took.." She gulped, "Suppressants, I felt that my friendship with Akihiko—er, Hiko-kun—, ended. Though, I kept thinking of all the _good _memories I still had in my head... the ones that my Darker Half didn't take away from me. And after awhile, I got attached to them... Questioning myself if these memories would stay with me, and I ended up running through the rain like I did that day."

She sneezed as she sat up from laying down. She had rubbed her eyes from the drowsiness she had caught with the cold, but she was more focused on the scrapes on her knees. When she tried to get up again, she stumbled due to how weak she was, which caused Mitsuru to act quickly and catch her.

"Take it easy, Tavi." She warned, "Your body is too fragile to take a large blow. You know that."

"Right." She pulled away from her Senpai as she began to obtain her balance so she could walk on her own. Despite the injuries on her knees, she began to walk as slow as possible so she could strengthen her legs again. "Erg..."

"By the way, what happened there?" Akihiko asked her.

"I fell on one of the edges of the steps at the shrine." She rubbed the injuries, slightly hissing from the pain. "I'll be alright, though. They'll heal by tomorrow."

She sneezed right after she said this. The injuries may be okay tomorrow, but she sure wasn't good enough to go to school. She wanted to walk to her room, but she saw Koromaru blocking the stairs with a happy look on his face.

"We're leaving you in the living room for tonight so you don't have to worry about walking so much." Akihiko commented.

"Shinji-kun said you haven't told any of the other members that I'm taking _them._" She didn't bother using the word.

"This is something that we'll be keeping in between us." Mitsuru didn't hesitate to say anything. "Though, we can't really allow you taking drugs, it'd be better than you dying right in front of us."

"I keep hearing about side effects..." She sighed, "I'm in denial right now, but I'll find out the Side Effects myself!"

She walked back to the sofa and plopped herself back onto the soft cushions. With this, she covered herself up again after saying good night. However, the sound of her voice made it seem more worried than energetic.

…

Daedalus was up and cuddled between the blanket with an ice pack now over her head. The towel fell off during the night, and she couldn't use a _dry_ one. She was too warm, and had to be cooled down with that single bag. However, her feet were now in her slippers, and she had help changing into pajamas to stay in for the day. Many of the members even walked up to embrace her and tell her that they hoped she would get well soon. Before the teenagers left, Yukari offered to help her catch up with the homework if she pleased. Daedalus couldn't say no, and gave her a handshake as agreement. Shinjiro didn't do much, but sit on one of the other couches and watch her every move. When she tried to get up, he got up for her, and when she wanted to go to her room, Koromaru still guarded it. The two didn't talk about what happened last night, but it still bothered her due to the atmosphere.

"Huh..." She sighed, but then coughed and sniffled right after. Koromaru whined from far away, and she just waved her hand as if she was fine.

"Tch. Are you that thickheaded?" Shinjiro scowled at her, having her flinch. "Did you _really _think you'd get away with something like that?!"

"S-Shinji-kun, I-" She didn't know what to say. To have her friend scold her like this sounded too much like Akihiko.

"You're going to _kill _yourself one day if you keep this up!"

Daedalus brought her knees up to her face, and placed her hands on top of her head in frustration. She wasn't sniffling now because of being sick, but her tears were now on the verge of falling. She cried too much over the weekend, but for someone to call her thickheaded...

"What is it going to take for you to protect your-"

"_S-Stop it!" _She screamed out loud with her eyes tightly shut. Shinjiro was now the one taken into shock. "Stop it right now!!"

The room fell silent, and Koromaru's ears drooped down in depression when she screamed.

"Enough!" She cried out. "I'm tired... I'm tired of being called these things! I wanna be..."

She began to whisper as her tears were flicked off of the corners of her eyes.

"I wanna be normal! I wanna be a regular girl that can do things and _still _have fun!" She whimpered, "But... But, it's the same thing everyday. Pity, pity, pity. I'm not normal... I'm above average intelligence only because I was forced to do so! I...I'm even in a freaking group for hunting things that want to kill me, and yet..."

Her necklace shook violently as her emotions poured out in the building. She was quite fortunate not to have the other SEES members look at her and give her sympathy, but she still didn't feel comfortable screaming it out to Shinjiro.

"I hate it... My parents... I don't even know what I feel anymore... I don't know why I do things. Maybe it's out of instinct, I dunno..."

Her sandy brown eyes were no longer sandy anymore once she opened them. Her hair began to cover the front of her face, so all you saw was her mouth. Her lips were pursed into disappointment, but slowly and surely, turned into a smirk... A wry smirk that signaled something was going on.

It wasn't the Dark Hour, but that necklace was causing some reaction in her body. Her eyes were a darkened purple again, but she didn't spaz out like she did with Zionga.

An aura shrouded her as she had once had. Because of the Dark Hour, her powers were useless. She could still feel energy surging into her, though.

Her voice was inverted into something...something demonic.

_'And those who shall dare hurt me, will feel the same pain and suffering knocked back tenfold!' _The voice said. Daedalus wasn't in control anymore, her conscience was the only thread that she had of being in control. She saw everything happening... Sesshou was taking over her _mind_!

Shinjiro noticed the power could get out of hand if he didn't do anything, which lead him to taking suppressants out of his pocket. He had to force them into her mouth as soon as possible; He had to keep her from going on a rampage. A loud screech was heard before Daedalus fell to the ground and began to stare into space.

…

_ "I'm telling you, Mitsuru. Daedalus needs help."_

Daedalus was sitting outside of the control room listening to the full conversation Shinji, Mitsuru, and Akihiko were having. She looked at her necklace in deep thought. Even if it was a short time that she was in that state, she could've reacted physically instead of mentally. She had tried to take it off a few times, but it had always appeared right back onto her chest. This stupid necklace... this horrid necklace made her seem like a witch! She coughed a little, but not as loud so she could listen in onto the conversation.

"I... I don't know..." Mitsuru was stuttering as she listened to Shinjiro's complaint. "I could try asking the Chairman to see if he could make her something else, but..."

Daedalus got up from the side of the room and walked to where _her _room was. She dashed as quick as possible into her room and slammed the door on them. She dug into her drawer to find a paper, and looked for a pencil she could write with in her bag. She knew what she had to do... She knew that her sorrow wasn't going to get her anywhere... This was on her mind for the last time.

_She had to quit SEES._

She couldn't move her pencil to the paper at first, she was filled with guilt as the weight on her shoulders pummeled her heart. She clutched the buttons on her Pajamas tightly, as if she was trying to keep her life intact.

She wrote pretty messy, but it had to do. Her last words on the paper were probably the last ones she would say to the group. Strega... Would she have to join Strega in order to keep her life?

_'Most likely.' _She had a light smile on her face, _'I'm really grateful for what they have done for me...'_

She put on her choker and pressed the purple gem to release the cape from it. She slid her tiny hand into her only weapon, and placed the clips and fingerless glove on her other. She could have the fingerless glove stand out and not have to worry, but the element glove...

Her only weapon, and if she were to go join Strega, she knew she would have to confront Takaya. Takaya had a gun... she saw it with her own eyes in his first appearance. Going against him wasn't going to be easy.

Suddenly, she heard a knock. "Dae-chan, are you in there?"

_'Fuuka-san...' _Daedalus thought to herself as she pushed open the window in her room. _'Forgive me...'_

The light began to dim with the sunset being the cause of it. She had to run as soon as possible to get to shelter before the Dark Hour. The only thing that really stopped her was not knowing the whereabouts of Strega.

"I have no reason to be afraid, now." She wiped her nose with her free sleeve on her pajamas. "SEES won't have to worry about me hurting them at all... My _friends _won't have to worry about being hurt."

With these final words, she took a wobbly leap off the window, and disappeared from her room for that period of time...

…

…

"Guys!" Fuuka ran down the stairs, her heartbeat racing at the incident. "We have some trouble!"

"What's wrong, Fuuka?!" Yukari asked her, holding onto her shoulders. "Calm down! What's going on?"

"D-Daedalus..." She panted for a few seconds, "D-Daedalus-chan is _not _in her room!"

The whole room turned around in panic. Their eyes were widened in disbelief as they looked Fuuka-chan in the eyes. How could this—

"What?!" Yukari scoffed, but not in a snobbish way. It sounded more like apprehension than anything else. "B-But, we just-"

"I know, we just found her! Well, Akihiko-senpai did, but..." Fuuka couldn't finish her sentences. She was in a wild panic. "She did...she left a note for us to read!"

Fuuka held it out to Yukari, but everyone surrounded her on the spot. Yukari cleared her throat before reading the letter completely:

"_To Everyone I Know and Love,_

_I'm sorry... I don't think I can do anything else to help..._

_All I've been doing is hurting..._

_I've been worrying everyone, and I've had everyone pity _me._"_

Yukari let out a slight gulp as she pursed her lips together. The members looked at one another, and then looked at Yukari. Koromaru's ears were down, Ken's head was lowered, Mitsuru looked the other way... All Akihiko did was sigh out of misery. All that trouble to save her..., but that thought was interrupted when Yukari began to read again.

"_If my powers just continue to do this... I don't have a reason to be in SEES._

_Nothing will stop it unless it's _me._"_

"Wait a minute..." Ken looked up, "N-No reason... to be in... SEES...?"

"_My heart will never be resolute,_

_and a resolute heart is what makes SEES so tough._

_And that is why..._

_I will say goodbye to you all, and-"_

Yukari let out a large gasp, covering her mouth with such horrific thoughts rushing through her head.

"W-What's wrong, Yuka-tan?!" Junpei took the note from her, but even _he _gasped at what it said. He read the final words of that lost note.

"_...join Strega on my own accord to rid of the pain you feel forever..._

_Memento Mori,_

_Daedalus Tavi – Former Member of the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad..."_

_

* * *

_

**_So much angst ;;... However, Daedalus was supposed to be an angsty character, but I kinda liked how this chapter came out. So, yeah. Daedalus is planning on joining Strega. I wonder how this will come out?_**

**_Persona 3 (C) ATLUS_**

**_Daira & Daedalus Tavi (C) Me~_**


	22. Who Said I Can't Use Guns!

**Chapter 22 – Who Said I Can't Use Guns?!**

Three days passed ever since Daira Tavi went with Akihiko to get her cousin from Nagaraki Shrine. She hadn't been visited by her at the store either, which seemed kinda freaky. However, she knew she was alright in the hands of the group. However, today was the day of the concert, and she was going to sing her heart out.

Well, not sing, but Fuko Taourze was going to sing for her. It was up to her to keep the guitar part in the group. She had changed into a blue jacket and some short khaki shorts. She had put on black socks to help with her white heeled shoes to keep her up on stage, and even put a scarf up for fashion. As she was putting her hair up into a Ponytail, she had gotten a Phone call on her Cell. She picked up the vibrating item, and opened it up to see an unknown number. She shrugged, and decided to wing it and answer the call.

"Tavi Residence, Daira Tavi speaking." She responded with delight.

"_D-Daira-senpai, we need your help!" _Yukari was the one talking on the phone. Daira was in confusion on how Yukari got her number, but she shrugged that off.

"Yukari-chan?"

"_Daira-senpai, something has gone on the past few days with you not here!" _Yukari continued. _"Daedalus-chan... Daedalus-chan ran away again, but this time she ran off to join Strega!"_

Daira almost dropped her cell phone once she heard this, but she shook in her shoes as she thought of something to say.

"Dae-chan?!" Daira cried out, "But- I-, I can't go and look for her right _now_! My concert is in a few hours, and I need to get ready as soon as possible! But, Strega..."

"We don't know the exact reason either, but she thinks she's such a burden to us.." Yukari whined, "That's why... I tried calling you to see if she came around."

"I'm sorry, Yukari-chan, but she hasn't come over to my place yet." She replied, "The past few days, she hasn't passed by the shop either. However, she said she'd come to the concert today, so I'll see if she's actually going or not."

"Oh, you're a life-saver, Senpai!" Yukari replied, "Please call back when you get any responses!"

"Understood." Daira hung up and placed it back into her pocket. She heaved a large sigh before hanging her guitar over her shoulder.

"Daedalus Tavi, where the _hell _could you be...?"

…

"Daira has no clue on the location of Daedalus, either." Yukari sighed as she walked up to the team. "This is supposed to be a _holiday_, and we're _supposed _to have fun. However, how are we supposed to with Dae running loose?"

"Aigis checked all around her room and couldn't find any of her equipment." Minato spoke for the first time in forever. "She suspects that Dae might have taken it with her."

"Oh great, then we're really in hot water." Yukari panicked, "What the heck can we do?"

"We could always check Club Escapade." Fuuka suggested, "Daira said her concert would be featured there, so it could be easy to find her. However, she could also disappear from existence at the same speed..."

"Which means we'd have to split up." Mitsuru sighed.

"By the way..." Junpei was curious, "What does that Daira chick do? What does _she _know about Daedalus?"

"Daira has most of the information on the Apathy Syndrome and the Dark Hour. She keeps it all in books that surround her apartment now, but it helps because it shows history behind history." Mitsuru continued, "She is also Tavi's Cousin, which makes it even more difficult to involve the family here. Aigis, are you sure you didn't find _anything _in her room?"

"I had found her Evoker in the bathroom, so I suspect that she had tossed it away before running off." Aigis walked up to Mitsuru. "Do you want me to check around again?"

"No, No... You've already done enough, Aigis. Thank you, though."

"I looked around her room as well..." Ken panted as he ran downstairs from her room. "Her photos are all scattered on the floor, which makes it harder to move around without stepping all over them."

"Damn it, Dae..." Akihiko sighed, "Why'd you leave...?"

"Don't worry, Senpai..." Fuuka tried to encourage him. "We'll find her soon enough... However, we really should split up and look around town for her."

"I vouch to go check out Club Escapade with Ken and Minato-kun to look for Daedalus!" Yukari waved her hand around, "Are you guys okay with that?"

"Of course." Ken replied.

"Yes..." Minato had caught a cold three days ago, a pretty bad one. He had stayed in a coma during the time, but only awoke the day she had ran off from them. He seemed in perfect condition at the time, however. "Koromaru & Junpei, you guys can check around the stations."

"Leave it to us!" Junpei smirked, and Koromaru just wagged his tail aimlessly.

"Yamagishi, can you stay here with me and see if we can track her down through the control room?" Mitsuru asked out of precaution.

"Sure, Senpai." Fuuka replied with a nod.

"I will do my best to follow Shinjiro-san and Akihiko-san to search around town as well." Aigis responded out of whim. The two boys just nodded in agreement.

…

"_Ha!" _Daedalus released her inner power to shoot at Jin of Strega. The two were throwing out all their strength at each other, which Daedalus was trying her best to do. When Daedalus used her feet to help her stop sliding on the cement, she felt her necklace glow with power.

"_Garula!_" She shouted out the spell as her hand released a strong gust of wind that was aiming at Jin. Jin just scoffed, and dashed torwards Dae to attempt at kicking her. Daedalus had no choice, but to use her hands to block the incoming kicks that Jin was releasing in rage.

Jin wasn't dumb, oh no, because once his feet touched her hand, he pushed forward to stand behind her and grab her shoulders to have her freeze in fear.

"Heh," He began, "Not bad for a girl like you. I'm surprised you didn't come join Strega before..."

"T-Thanks, but..." Her glove was charging up Magaru, which Jin was unaware of. "I-I'm not done _yet_!"

Daedalus used her force to blast him away from her body, but also catch her breath. Ever since Takaya found her walking alone, she had been training to get onto equal sides with the others. With Chidori in the hospital, they needed a temporary replacement.

Takaya clapped as he entered the alley they had dueled in. "Very nice."

"T-Takaya-sama..." Sweat was dripping off the girl's pale skin. She hated Takaya at first, but she noticed that Takaya hadn't tried to kill her, and had to lower her guard slightly. "W-Why can my glove work here in the alley, but not anywhere else outside the Dark Hour?"

"When you were with Jin, I worked on it and programmed it so that it _should_ work here right now. When the Dark Hour comes, the effect should disappear." Takaya let out an evil grin. "Revenge is the first step for you, is it not?"

"S-Should it be?" Daedalus looked straight into his eyes showing slight fear and hesitation. However, his hand cupped her chin, and her reaction made him chuckle. She yelped and continued to look at him with blush written all over her face.

"Daedalus, the only way you can become stronger is if you can learn how to hate." Takaya laughed. "If you hate too much, your power can become too hard to handle. If you hate too little, your power won't progress."

He unclasped her chin and stood on the edge of the alley in between both Jin and Daedalus. His yellow eyes were watching both of them intensely. Daedalus took this chance as an attack and charged into Jin with Zionga.

Her mind was filled questions. Takaya shouldn't have accepted this deal, but why...

Why did he...?

* * *

_Daedalus was stumbling as she ran (more like limped) farther away from the Dorm. Her head was down as she didn't want anyone to see her face. She tripped over her pajamas quite a few times while walking to the Station. After riding the train to Iwatodai's station, she covered her mouth and nose to keep herself from catching any air. Anything like that might be likely to stop her, and her could get worse. Without an idea on where to go, she ran into an alley only to step back with a yelp escaping her lips._

_'Well, Well...' Takaya's voice soon found it's owner once he walked out from between the alley. 'What're _you _doing here little Daedalus?'_

'To hell with her, Takaya...'_ Jin scowled, also walking into her view. 'Haven't you seen how slow she brings the others down? Why do we need to confront her?'_

_'Jin, it is necessary.' Takaya replied with an evil smile, 'After all... She looks like she _can _be of some use.'_

_Daedalus stayed in the same spot, whispering to herself that she would be safe. She came here on her own will, right? So why was she afraid...?_

_'I...' Daedalus got their attention as she began talking, 'I-I want to join Strega! I want to get stronger... I don't want to hurt anyone anymore!'_

_She clutched her necklace tightly._

_'I found it annoying...' Daedalus continued, 'That I could not do _anything _to help, but only hurt. That is why I decided that I will only learn how to deal pain, and be one of you. I mean, you guys _do _hurt for revenge, right?'_

_'For business, yes...' Takaya held his hand out as if he was coaxing a small toddler to come closer to him. 'I believe that you are stronger than you really are..'_

_'...Huh...?' Daedalus looked at her hand, but then turned away. '...How can I trust you?'_

_'Either way, joining Strega will not be easy...' Takaya took his hand back and knelt down to her height. 'You'd have to skirmish with Jin for awhile, now.'_

_'Like you would survive.' Jin scoffed at her. 'My skills could kick you into the ground and step all over you.'_

_Daedalus winced at this, but took a small step forward. _

_'I... I can try my best!' She replied back to them. 'I'll try fighting Jin! I can't promise to trust you, but I'll do my best to fight against him!'_

_

* * *

_

Come to think of it, why'd he program the glove so fast? As she thought about this, she felt a kick in the center of her back. This sent her spiraling towards the end of same alley, and had her groaning in pain.

_'Forty-five minutes...' _She thought to herself. _'I hope that was how long I stayed above ground... now, I can't even move...'_

"Jin, I'm sure that's enough now." Takaya walked up to Daedalus's body, and picked her up by her shoulders. "You're good."

"Yeah, right..." She replied, "I-I can't even attack in battle... W-What makes you think I can do this?"

"Oh, you can do it, Daedalus." Takaya replied, his fingers began to linger on her skin. She was hyperventilating in her own mind, since she still wasn't used to the fact that Takaya always got that close to her. "I think you _really _can learn how to hurt people."

…

The Dark Hour came in another few hours, with the gang now grouping up at Tartarus. Koromaru and Ken ran inside from looking outside the area.

"Daedalus-san isn't here..." Ken put his head down, with a melancholy tone in his voice. "She hasn't come here yet, and I don't think she will..."

"I can't sense Daedalus either..." Fuuka indicated. "It's been three days... Three days that she's been gone..."

"I have a bad feeling that Daedalus will never talk to us again." Junpei suggested with a worried look on his face. "This is _really _bad."

"Junpei, if you're worried_ that _much about the Evoker, she didn't take it." Yukari scoffed at his stupidity. "The only thing she took with her is the equipment, nothing else."

"She also left the SEES band, too, Yukari-chan." Fuuka reminded, "I still can't believe that she left SEES though... Was she worried about our health?"

"That note only said she left SEES because we had a 'resolute heart.'" She replied, "I still don't see why she joined _Strega, _however. She could have left us and been on her own. I wonder..."

"Daira never responded, right Fuuka?" Yukari asked her, but Fuuka shook her head.

"I texted her about four times, and not one did I get a response..." Fuuka told them, "I don't even know if Daira actually looked for her..."

"_Ya' don't know?" _A female voice came from behind them on the door to enter the main hall of Tartarus. The female that walked in was indeed Daira Tavi, with her gothic looking outfit that had black all over. Her gloves only showed some bare skin, and a large black blow that held together her spiked up bun. Her tips were still the same color, but the large bang only covered a different eye. She wore a cat paw on her right arm, which when it was extended there were claws sheathed. Then her left hand was holding a chakram with spiked sides.

"She wasn't found during the concert." Daira shook her head, "Wasn't expecting a greeting like this, weren't you?"

"Daira-senpai, don't scare us like that!" Yukari had her jaw dropped open, "Wait a minute... _Daira_?!"

"How are you in the Dark Hour at this time of night?" Fuuka began to speak out of the silence.

"Hah, I knew I would surprise you." She smiled, grabbing her shoulder with the paw. "You see, I have not awaken to my Persona yet. However, I am able to go into the Dark Hour without being turned into a coffin. Because your Persona is what protects you more than your weapons, I can only stand out as technical support."

"But, why are you joining?" Yukari continued to ask questions.

"The sooner the Dark Hour is gone, the sooner Daedalus is safe and sound. At least, that's a theory. I'm not sure if her Darker Half would be rid of..."

"Well..." Yukari sighed, "Let's start exploring! Minato-kun?"

"Right." He nodded, "Let's go, Team!"

* * *

Yesh. Another Blackbullet Chapter has been done leaving more hints on what could happen to Daedalus in the future. Sadly, I am ashamed of myself because I never worked on this Chapter as much as I did the other ones, so it may seem confusing. However, I'm willing to give an Update about how Blackbullet's going to go!

Okay, so... 2 Days before the next Full Moon (One after 10/4 Incident), my game scratched up awhile back. I couldn't get a new CD, and I still haven't been able to get a new one from GameStop or

Secondly, I finally presented my project today (yes, I said March, but it was really the end of February) and got an 88! I guess all that hard work really did pay off! However, that means I can finally do the regular routine for Blackbullet chapters. Same goes for my Links to Fantasy Fan-Fiction.

Thirdly, I'm going to be working on Links To Fantasy as well as well going back to Online Gaming again. I never got my Laptop fixed, but I can also play MapleStory & Wonderland Online again.

Long note, is long. Sorry about that x__X;;

**_Yesh. Another Blackbullet Chapter has been done leaving more hints on what could happen to Daedalus in the future. Sadly, I am ashamed of myself because I never worked on this Chapter as much as I did the other ones, so it may seem confusing. However, I'm willing to give an Update about how Blackbullet's going to go!  
Okay, so... 2 Days before the next Full Moon (One after 10/4 Incident), my game scratched up awhile back. I couldn't get a new CD, and I still haven't been able to get a new one from GameStop or _**

**_  
Secondly, I finally presented my project today (yes, I said March, but it was really the end of February) and got an 88! I guess all that hard work really did pay off! However, that means I can finally do the regular routine for Blackbullet chapters. Same goes for my Links to Fantasy Fan-Fiction._**

**_  
Thirdly, I'm going to be working on Links To Fantasy as well as well going back to Online Gaming again. I never got my Laptop fixed, but I can also play MapleStory & Wonderland Online again.  
Long note, is long. Sorry about that x__X;;_**

_**Persona 3 (C) ATLUS**_

**_Daedalus & Daira Tavi (C) Me_**


	23. That's Not the True Daedalus!

**Chapter 23 – That's Not the True Daedalus!**

Daedalus sat alone in the alley with her face buried into her knees. Her new outfit was given to her by Strega, but now she felt depressed more than ever. She wore ripped jeans that had holes at her knees, and a shirt that's sleeve slid down on her shoulder, revealing the wound that Sesshou gave her. Her element glove was given an upgrade as well as having it cover up to her elbow now. Not to mention, the clips were now long lacy bows that held the same power that the original ones gave her. She wore sneakers that had a hole in one of the soles. However, she never walked back with them... back with the guys of Strega. She had not been bothered by her Darker Half for awhile now, but she knew it was there.

Daedalus had told Strega about the suppressants she took. Takaya seemed to ignored that, since he welcomed her anyway. On the other hand, Jin still held great dislike for her. Though, the only thing on her mind was the day. Akihiko turned 18 today, and she failed to get him a gift with all the thoughts that killed her mind. She knew Akihiko: He acted like he didn't care, when he really did. Her trust with SEES was most likely broken. All that friendship was taken away from her now, and it was her fault for making it go that far. However, she knew she couldn't turn back now... or could she?

"Ha..." Daedalus sarcastically smiled. "I bet they all hate me now... For what _I _did to them..."

It was already 10AM before she finally got up and began to walk around. She would have to hide from any of her "ex-friends," and if they were to come out, she'd have to run. Did she really want to be chased by them?

Her white pigtails flew in the wind as she walked down the street. Her normally soft eyes were gradually hardening, and her steps were in sync with all the other people that passed by. She walked around town like it was nothing, and it was nothing like she had done before. She had always ran down shyly, not looking up at the world, just looking down. Now, she was looking straight ahead and ignoring anyone who was passing by. Her footsteps stopped when she heard familiar voices around her.

"Hey, Junpei," The first one was obviously Minato's, despite the fact that he rarely spoke. "No information on Daedalus, yet?"

"Senpai hasn't texted back with anything." Junpei sighed, "I swear, that girl can be trouble sometimes."

"Junpei!" Minato looked at him with his non-covered eye in disbelief. "I don't blame her for thinking she's hurt us, but..."

Daedalus continued to walk as if she didn't notice them, but something told her to stop where she was going and wait for them to catch up.

"Yeah, but still-" Junpei stopped in his tracks only to find her with her back turned to face them.

"D-Daedalus." Junpei took a step back. "We weren't expecting to see you here."

"Neither was I." Daedalus slightly turned her head so she could only see them from the corner of her eye.

"Daedalus-chan, please..." Minato was begging. _Begging_. "Why'd you join Strega? You could've stayed with us!"

"Daedalus, I thought you hated them anyways, for what they told you." Junpei added. "They want to keep _it_ alive, remember?"

"I'm not stupid." She replied, "I know their plans. I know what they're trying to do."

"Then, why-"  
"Didn't you read the note?" She questioned them. "I don't want to cause pain to you."

"But, causing it to others will do good?!" Junpei shouted at her, having the public move away from their argument. "What the hell?!"

Daedalus turned to face them directly, her teeth lightly gritted. "I want to get stronger, okay?! I want to save the world... but, at the same time I just want to _destroy _it."

"Daedalus..." Minato looked at her in horror.

Now it was a head-on stare between Junpei and the white haired girl. Minato didn't know what to do with the two, as it had been such a long time they've seen each other. Minato decided to play it coolly and start asking her questions.

"Why didn't you take your evoker?" He chose his first question wisely.

"That was because..." Daedalus turned her face away from them. That's right. Why hadn't she-

"Daedalus..." Minato slightly chuckled. "Does that mean you still care about us?"

"Quit making up stuff like that!" She lashed out at them. "I-I don't!"

She looked at her mark that was beginning to glow a dark purple. Her mind wanted to stop all of this, stop all of it and cry in her friend's shoulders. Her heart, however, just wanted to destroy.

"Stop antagonizing me..." She mumbled, "If you do, you'll only get hurt in front of the people..."

"Well look who gets fired up so easily." Junpei had an evil smirk that Daedalus's heart just wanted to whip off his face. "Why are you so annoyed?"

"Stop..." She began to focus her thoughts back onto Akihiko's birthday, and shook her head to get the dark and negative feeling out of her mind. It took her a few minutes to have the mark stop glowing, but when it ceased, she turned back around to only give her backside again.

"Let us never meet again." She told them, "The next time, I_ will _hurt you."

…

Dae-chan? You seriously met up with her?!" Fuuka's tone indicated she was stunned, but also kind of sad. "What'd she say?"

"To never meet with her again." Minato answered quickly. "She said something about hurting us if we did..."

Daira was strumming her guitar as she was listening to the update. Her mind was focused on their words, and her strums became more fierce and violent.

"I know my own cousin." Daira replied, "She couldn't kill if she tried. That Darker Half, however...."

"Daedalus-san is turning cruel on us..." Ken looked pretty shaken. "I'm wondering if she's going to target innocents, too."

"We can try fighting her during the Dark Hour..." Yukari suggested, but then regretted that. "Though, it would be kinda depressing... fighting our own friend."

"If it's the only drastic measure we can take, then so be it." Mitsuru approved of it. "Without Tavi, we're one giant leap away from even more destruction in the world."

"Senpai!" Fuuka yelped.

"She's right, though." Shinjiro walked up to them all, "Daedalus could cause a death she didn't even want to do. She would most likely go and kill the ones she cares about the most... _us_."

Everyone, even Akihiko,-who was reading something-, turned his direction.

"She'll come at us if we don't snap her out of this trance. We need to help her as soon as possible."

"I don't think she's going to be attacking today, though." Akihiko had everyone's eyes on him. "She'll probably be trying to get my birthday out of her head, since that was her favorite thing to do as a small Junior High Student."

"That's right, Happy Birthday, Akihiko." Mitsuru smiled, "Is that what you predict out of her?"

"It seems about right, too." Daira spoke out, "She cares for Akihiko so much, sometimes she forgets what's around her. The only thing that's really bothering me is the fact that the next full moon is in less than two weeks! There's no way in hell we're going to convince her in that amount of time..."

"Then, it's best if we fight." Minato responded quietly. "We can beat her, I'm sure of it."

"She might appear in Tartarus tonight, so let's keep a lookout." Mitsuru added to his words. Daedalus was their friend, and didn't need to fight them at all. With all the Strega nonsense, however, she's disappeared, and has most likely forgotten about them.

…

Eleven o' clock at night hit the streets as Daedalus was still walking alone at night. Her footsteps echoed as the silent wind blew against her face. She was now thinking about the possibilities to why Sesshou has not appeared in front of her dreams. She gave up on Akihiko's birthday... Hell, she might as well give up on all her friends. What she said to Junpei and Minato back there... She felt that she could not take that back from her mouth. She realized there was a full moon coming up, and looked up at the sky with the moon in it's crescent form. She created a smile that seemed so... saddened

"Sorry, Hiko-kun..." She heaved a great sigh. "Sorry, Shinji-kun..."

11:55... Just a few more minutes-

"I feel as if they're coming after me..." Dae felt the sky beginning to turn it's terrorizing color. "I'll have to stop them somehow. If they don't want to leave me alone, then they'll face the wrath of my newest power thanks to Takaya-sama."

Daedalus felt the atmosphere change along with her necklace beginning to glow due to this. She watched as all the humans that were on the streets turned into coffin-like creatures. When this first happened to her, she was scared out of her mind, but now she didn't feel much out of it. She did begin to feel something, however, when her necklace began to illuminate an even stronger, yet darker, purple light. This was just like that one day... when Sesshou warped her to Port Island in the first place!

"Gah!!" Her hair hid her face for a few seconds, and her eyes turned Gothic Purple. Daedalus's glove had a purple electrical shock forming around it, and she seemed to be giving off a bad aura to the Dark Hour itself, as if she were adding to Tartarus.

Sesshou was taking over her mind again.

"_Daedalus!" _Yukari's voice came from a small distance away. All of SEES was going over to confront the troublesome girl, but once they saw her hand with the shocking energy, they backed away a bit.

"I-Is Daedalus okay?!" Fuuka didn't realize what was happening to her. "Dae-chan?! Dae-chan, please answer me. Are you okay?!"

There wasn't a response to be heard from her. However, there _was _a darkening laugh that filled the air with shivers. This wasn't the normal Daedalus they have dealt with before. This was something different.

"Well, well, well..." Daedalus' voice had a sudden change in it. She sounded older than a regular teenager her age. In fact, she didn't even _sound _like the normal Daedalus. "We finally meet, don't we?"

Daedalus—no, Sesshou, turned around to face the group with a devious smile. She folded her arms across her shoulders, and those purple eyes were menacing to the group.

"I'm sure you've seen me before, Kirijo..." Before Mitsuru could ask, she added. "I know you by this girl's thoughts."

"Wait a minute, so..." Akihiko looked at Daedalus closely, "You're... her Darker Half?"

"I have to give her full credit for holding me back with those suppressants." Sesshou clapped slowly, showing her hint of sarcasm. "That little rat held me back from killing her and taking her body for good."

"Uh....Senpai?" Junpei turned to the three older teens, "I thought... I thought Daedalus _stopped _taking them..."

"Well, either way. It'll be fun to kill you..." She chuckled, "Daedalus isn't going to know what happened, and it's going to be hilarious watching the poor girl writhe in pain."

"You're horrible!" Ken cried out to Sesshou. "All you care about is hurting Daedalus-san, don't you?!"

"It's not that hard to figure out, boy." She scowled, but her eyes moved to face Akihiko. "You."

"What about me?" Akihiko got into a stance that signaled he was ready for battle.

"I'll take it you would like to be my first opponent?" Sesshou requested. "I mean, it _is _the Dark Hour... and, I really _do_ need to get you out of the way."

Daira came out from behind them all. "You better leave my cousin alone!"

"What are you, an idiot?" She turned her back to Daira, "Don't you see I would like to kill the one she loves the most, besides you?"

An awkward silence was in between the groups. Akihiko didn't know what to say, and neither did Daira.

"Oops?" Sesshou chuckled, "Did I reveal something that wasn't supposed to be heard? Even when she _did _join Strega, she couldn't stop thinking about the fool..."

"Are..." Minato finally spoke out loud. "Are you really going to crush their friendship like that?!"

"You're a real smartass, y'know that?" Daira pulled out pieces of a machine that looked similar to her gun, and placed them together. Soon enough, her gun was formed and ready to kill.

"Daira-senpai, that's not the correct weapon to attack this person with!" Fuuka warned. "It's going to destroy part of this place, too!"

"Screw that..." Daira replied, "I didn't want to hurt Daedalus, but... To get that thing out of her body..."

"Two against one?" Sesshou looked back at them again. "Fine by me... Just prepare to die from this!"

* * *

**_Was really not expecting this chapter to come out this way... Awesome! But,... not expected XD._**

**_It was originally going to up the relationship with Takaya & Jin and such, but I had more ideas while Persona 3 RPing with my friend Recca, and that's where it all came in. Thanks, Recca :3_**

**_Anyways, I got two chapters done, which will both be uploaded ^^. Thanks for reading!_**

**_Persona 3 (C) ATLUS_**

**_Daedalus Tavi & Daira Tavi (C) Me_**


	24. Darkened Vines & Black Roses

**Chapter 24 – Darkened Vines & Black Roses**

Sesshou charged straight into Daira with Zionga, which she dodged to begin shooting multiple bullets at Sesshou. Sesshou tapped Daedalus's bows to form a small force field that disappeared as soon as the bullets hit it. She jumped up into the air to cast her next attack.

"_Garula!" _She cried out as her next attack. Daira didn't expect this, and fell back onto the ground with her large gun sliding across the floor.

"Everyone, get back!" She called out to the other members while standing up. "She'll kill _you _if you don't move!"

"_Polydeuces!" _Akihiko summoned his Persona to attack her. Sonic Punch slightly damaged her, but she didn't care much. Usually a battle would be intense for all of SEES, but for now it was just filled with worry. They didn't want to hurt Daedalus, because that could risk losing her life along with her Darker Half.

Sesshou backflipped from most of the Sonic Punches that Akihiko was tossing, and charged up the glove again.

"_Mudo!" _She shot out the next sequence of attacks to them. The Darkness was going to circle the two, and they couldn't have that.

"_Gah!" _Daira took something out of her pocket that looked like a gem, and tossed into the air. She saw the skill bounce back away from them, and sighed out of relief.

"What was..."

"Homunculus." Daira replied, grabbing her gun again. "It stops a Hama or Mudo-type skill from being used. It's really handy, but I'm limited on them."

"You won't get away from me, fools!" Sesshou ran up to them with a kick being prepared to toss at them. She landed a direct attack on Akihiko, who fell down in front. Daira didn't know what to do, since she only carried a few items to use.

"You're next... _Zionga!_" A burst of lightning shot at Daira and hit her straight in the chest. She couldn't do anything, but scream. This was an attack that wasn't that painful against her, but with Sesshou using it...

"What can we do?!" Yukari asked Shinjiro, who was just spectating this whole thing.

"We can't do anything." Shinjiro grunted. "The only thing we can rely on is having Dae use her heart and mind to break out of the control that chick has placed on her."

"She's really strong..." Daira was struggling to stand up. "Was this really what Dae was keeping from us...?"

"Seems like it." Akihiko pulled himself together. "It's a wonder how she withstood all the pain that Sesshou was causing to her."

"Not a good time to wonder-_agh_!" Daira held her hands close to her chest. "I...can't move very well..."

"Paralyzed." Akihiko realized this, "She paralyzed you. No matter... _Persona!_"

Polydeuces was giving it's all going toward Sesshou. However, it barely put a dent in her physical strength. Sesshou didn't seem like she was the one to show mercy to anyone, especially SEES.

"I'm surprised..." A menacing chuckle came out of her mouth. "I was expecting you to be stronger than what you are now. You guys are _weak _compared to what I've seen out of you all. Is it because I'm controlling your dear friend's body?"  
Daira gritted her teeth, and balled her hand into a fist. She knew Akihiko was probably confused on how Daedalus could love him. She couldn't stop listening to Sesshou's words.

"_Magaru!" _Sesshou caught them off guard without a problem. They both bumped into each other from the impact, and also rolled them closer to the original group. She walked up to them, the aura still radiating from around her. "Well? Are you done yet? I can't _wait _to eliminate you."

"No..." Daira slowly recovered from the paralyzation that was cursed upon her. "We're not giving up... We're not!"

"I see why Daedalus couldn't tell us anything before..." Akihiko forced himself to get up. "You... actually cause a lot of pain."

"They don't categorize me in the Death Arcana for nothing, boy." She was growing cocky. "I cause death, I cause pain. Simple as that."

Daira took this chance to fire a gunshot, and it barely passed Sesshou by a few centimeters.

"Your aim is off, am I not mistaken?" Sesshou jumped onto the nearest fire hydrant in the city. "Give it up. Because this is Daedalus we're talking about, all you will experience will be a painful loss of your lives and your precious friend's."

"Shut it!" Akihiko ran towards the girl with his fist ready. He threw the punch with ease, and was able to gut her in the stomach before she retaliated. She slid back instead of the normal Daedalus, who would roll over and groan in pain. "Sorry, Dae-Dae..."

"Not bad..." She grinned, "I guess you really are a challenge to me. I guess, I'll have to release my true power then!"

Rumbling was heard from under everyone's feet as the ground began to develop a crack in the center point. SEES had to stand their ground so they would not hurt themselves.

Suddenly, five objects emerged from the ground, and created holes on the concrete. Sesshou created a very evil grin that would've never appeared on the pale girl's face. Those purple eyes looked like they could petrify anyone.

"What the hell?!" Junpei screamed from the tops of his lungs. "What _are _those things?!"

"Like them? They're from Daedalus's inner mind: The Black Forest." Sesshou was pointing to her head for demonstration. "All those nightmares? They were all caused by _me_. Plus, it's really funny to see Tavi writhe in pain."

The vines grew points and turned black and wild. They moved around as if they were wild animals, until Sesshou pointed directly at Akihiko.

"Now, my pets, attack the boy!" She commanded them to do so. _"Demonic Vine Whip!"_

Three of the vines were going after Akihiko without hesitation. His face looked determined, as if he could stand the pain that was coming closer to him.

"Sanada!" Daira slid up to him with her remaining strength, and was smacked on her back by the actual vines. She felt a tear slide down her cheek from some of the pain, but she also felt blood trickle down her back. She howled in pain from the attack, until the vine wrapped around her waist area and pulled her up into the air in a grip.

"No, Daira!" Fuuka cried out loud. "Daira-senpai, please be okay!"

"Daira... You..."

"A-Akihiko..." Daira felt the grip becoming tighter. "I... I only did this so Daedalus... Daedalus could still spend time with you if she ever got away from Strega..."

Daira felt her life slipping away as the three vines wouldn't release. Her breathing was ragged, and she couldn't move because of the scars that would form on her body.

"Akihiko Sanada," Her eyes were half-lidded. "If I get out of this alive... I'll likely be in the hospital... Don't let me down..."

With her final words said, her consciousness slipped away from them all, and Sesshou dropped her to the floor with no sympathy felt for the older cousin.

"Demonic Vice Grip." Sesshou explained. "It suffocates the person until they lose focus of where the pain is coming from. She's not dead, not yet... but, I'll go after you first."

Yukari's eyes sensed that she had some sort of fear in her mind. However, she knew that

wasn't Daedalus causing the pain, but even so...

Junpei was also pretty stunned at the act. Daira Tavi sacrificed herself for someone else? Obviously that attack wouldn't leave someone with just scratches. Daira really looked like she was going to die off there than to go and die of old age.

Ken and Shinjiro were both spectating everything out of her. Sesshou was a cynical pain in the ass, and those two it themselves. SEES couldn't watch anymore; they had to take action before it was too late and everyone was either dead or severely injured.

"This ends _now_." Mitsuru unsheathed her rapier and ran towards the vines to slice off. It took difficulty trying to stab it swiftly, but that's when she got her Evoker out for use. _"Penthesilea!"_

Her own Persona came out to shine and use Bufula, not on Sesshou, but on the vines that were attacking everything. She was only able to get rid of two, but obviously felt she was in distress when she was picked up by one of the vines. Not only was she the only one who was taken by the vines, Minato and Akihiko were as well. SEES couldn't have attacked the vine, it could just try to kill their friends!

"You're right, Kirijo." Sesshou had a maniacal laughter roaring across the streets. "It _will _end now. It will _all _end once I get rid of you forever!"

"Daedalus-chan..." Fuuka looked down, but her voice began to raise a little higher than normal. "Daedalus-chan!! Snap out of it, right now! Don't you see? You're hurting the ones you love the most right now!"

"Dae-chan, if you can stop this mess, please do it now!" Yukari clutched her hands with one another. "Don't you remember the good times you've had with Akihiko-senpai, and Shinjiro-senpai!"  
"Good...Times...?" Sesshou's voice was still there, but Daedalus's innocence was slowly breaking through. "Ergh... I..."

* * *

_Daedalus, this is Shinjiro.' Akihiko was introducing the girl to his childhood friend. He had shoulder-length hair that was a deep brown. His eyes were a pale brown, but he had this one look about him that seemed like a glare. He wore simple clothes (a t-shirt and some jeans), and just stared at her. 'Shinji, this is Daedalus.'_

_'N-Nice to meet you.' Daedalus bowed in politeness. She trembled a bit from the chills she had from being sick._

_'…' Shinjiro stayed quiet that whole time. Daedalus wondered if he was one of the silent types._

_'Well then,' Akihiko broke the silence, 'What do you like to do for fun, Dae?'_

_'Um...' Daedalus shuffled her feet, 'I don't... I don't have much fun...'_

_'What?!' Akihiko panicked, 'What do you mean by that?!'_

_'I study.. well... I'm forced to study in my own time...' She explained. "I'm told by mother that I'm supposed to do it.'_

_..._

_'Hey, Daedalus! Look what I got for ya!' Akihiko held up a stuffed bear that had a cute smile on it's face. It had brown fur, with black button eyes. Daedalus had a large smile on her face._

_'It's been years since I've had one of these...' She took it from him and snuggled it to feel the warmth that was beneath it. She had a light smile on her face as well. 'Where... where did you get this?'_

_'We didn't 'get' it, but we made it.' Akihiko had a small smile on his face. 'Shinji and I got into a fight, and said something about making a bear for you. So, we forgave each other and made it just for you!'_

_'Thank you, Sanada-san...'_

_'Oh please, don't feel as if you need to act formal.' Akihiko patted her head, 'Just call me Akihiko-kun.'_

_'O-Okay!'_

_

* * *

_

Daedalus was gripping onto her head in frustration. Her mind was fighting over control between Sesshou and herself. The fearful purple eyes were turning back into those soft brown, and Daedalus was making noises from all the pain. With her free hand, she stopped the vines and released them before they could do anything else to them. The vines also began to retreat back to the ground, and Daedalus was now backing up on her own accord. She closed her eyes so she wouldn't see the looks on all their faces, and turned to run away from them all. All that left SEES to do, was to get Daira to a hospital and quick, but something...

Something _darker_ was watching them.

"_Takaya?" _

Jin looked back at the white-haired man. He had a large smirk on his face, and looked at Jin with a nod.

"Daedalus is quite the girl with a Persona like that..." Takaya chuckled, "I knew there was something... intriuging about her. The hate has made her and her Persona stronger, that is for sure."

"I still don't know if we should go through with using _her_..." Jin groaned, "She _was _part of that stupid little group, after all."

"Patience is a virtue, Jin." Takaya looked back at him, "Come, we'll go after her. She has proved to us that she isn't weak when her Persona's in play."

* * *

**_Here's the second Chapter. The Battle has come to an abrupt stop due to Daedalus breaking free of Sesshou's control._**

**_Alright, so I was working on this chapter, and I thought "Hey, wait a minute. Sesshou invades her mind with a demonic garden, which would make a good idea for the next chapter!" Sesshou gets her power completely from that part of her mind, so I thought this was pretty cool. ^^_**

**_Trying not to make them overpowered as well, since... well... that's Mary-Sueish. lol._**

**_Daedalus Tavi, Dark Daedalus/Sesshou, and Daira Tavi (C) Me_**

**_Persona 3 (C) ATLUS_**

**_P.S:_**

**_Demonic Vine Whip - (Pierce) Attacks the person with long vines, has a chance of hitting three times._**

_**Demonic Vice Grip - (Almighty) Takes the opponent into a hold and drains up to 5% of their HP to add to their own.**_


	25. Stalled Friendship

**Chapter 25 – Stalled Friendship?**

"Senpai... How is it going?" Fuuka Yamagishi saw Mitsuru walking into the Dorm days later. While Junpei had to take care of Chidori, she was the one responsible for Daira Tavi.

"The X-Rays were finally taken today," Mitsuru let out a heavy sigh. "Tavi has some blood lost and a few deep cuts. However, it is nothing that she cannot live with."

"That's good..." Yukari smiled, "She looked like she wasn't ready to take anymore..."

"Daira-senpai doesn't seem like the type to give up." Minato added, "She's a lot different than Dae-chan."

"I kinda... wasn't finished yet." Mitsuru rubbed her shoulder. "Not only could Daira have died if Daedalus didn't snap out of it... I kind of looked through Daedalus's records a little more."

She pulled her hand out from behind her back, holding the folder and signaling the whole team to walk over and sit in the lounge. When they all gathered about, she had opened the folder and scanned around her profile.

"We already know she is pretty smart for her age, and she has killed her own parents." Mitsuru looked around for a certain paragraph until she pointed at it. Yukari had offered to read it, since when they saw the face on Mitsuru's face, they were pretty worried.

"_Daedalus Tavi," _Yukari took a deep breath, _"Disappeared with what seemed like hours away from the fire that caused the murder of Abarrane Midorikawa Tavi. To add to this, Kosuke Tavi, was also murdered in this incident."_

"Wait, so Daedalus ran off after the incident?" Junpei questioned Mitsuru.

"Not so much as 'run....'" Mitsuru sighed, "It seems that she disappeared off the face of the _town_. There were many traces when they found footprints. Tavi could've-and this doesn't even sound believable- _teleported _to Tatsumi Port Island."

"That explains why she would be here." Shinjiro huffed. "She actually killed her parents, though?"

"Strega must've triggered a fearsome memory in her mind that day..." Minato thought, "It wasn't intentional, though. She most likely fell unconscious while her Darker Half was taking over her body like she did days ago."

"It's only eight days until the next Full Moon." Akihiko reminded them all. "Let's all take some time to go through her full record. It should help-"

"I have found a package that was left in Daedalus's room." Aigis walked downstairs with a white box held in her hands. "It does not seem to be dangerous, but it should be handled with caution when opening it."

Ken looked at it. "It looks like it is addressed to Akihiko-senpai."

"Senpai?" Fuuka was even surprised. "Well, it doesn't seem to have a name to suggest who it's from. Do you think it could be from Daedalus-chan?"

"We'll have to find out one way or another." Akihiko took the box from Aigis and placed it onto the table they were all around. He had concern that filled his mind, but when he opened it, it felt like there was some weight lifted off his shoulder.

There was a small cake read "Akihiko Sanada-kun, Happy Birthday~!" on the top with blue frosting. It was vanilla flavored, and was surrounded with chocolate frosting. Some of the members chuckled lightly.

"Wow, even if she's gone, she still cares..." Yukari grinned, "I never knew Daedalus could bake."

"Back when she was younger, I taught her how to make little cakes." Shinjiro implied, "I'm surprised she remembers how to."

"It looks like she really worked hard on it." Fuuka complimented, "I wonder how it tastes?"

…

Daedalus stuffed her hands into her pockets and walked alone through the Paulownia Mall. It has been... probably a week now, since she had left S.E.E.S for Strega. She had still went to Gekkoukan, but never talked to anyone anymore, except maybe Fuko. Their hideout was kind of like a regular home, except the fact that it was in a hotel-like place. Daedalus was always the one who went out to buy their food for the day, or something of the sort. She learned a lot about the "Revenge Request" system, and how they did their job. She didn't approve to it, but hey, what could she do? Takaya was in control of her now.  
"What are _you _doing here?" Daedalus turned around only to find a smug Jin watching her every move. "Didn't Takaya tell you to go home already?"

"I like taking strolls, you know that, Jin-kun." She averted her gaze from him to in front of her.

"Takaya's not going to like it when he finds out what you did for those hypocrites."

Daedalus heard what he said and turned around to face him with some blush written across her face.

"You didn't..."

"Oh, I didn't, but I will." Jin chuckled, "You should know by now how we taught you. We did not teach you to be nice to our enemies."

"_Your _enemies," Daedalus spat, which was really unlike her. "You know they're still my friends. You _know _I only joined Strega to find a home. It's bad enough I have to deal with your cocky remarks every day."

This easily pissed off Jin, as he was inches away from punching her in the face for saying that. This would be about the tenth skirmish they had the whole time she was there, and it was usually Takaya breaking it up. Daedalus held one of his fists that were coming towards her direction, and she pushed him away with a heavy sigh.

"Fine. Fine. I'll come home." She looked away from him, "On the condition that you don't tell him what I did."

"He'll find out anyways..." Jin groaned, "Fine, I won't tell him at all. Let's go then."

...

Daedalus was following him back to the hotel, when she asked: "Jin-kun, what was Chidori like?"

"It's Jin-_san_!" He gritted his teeth every time she addressed him as a friend. They were slight rivals, weren't they? "And, Chidori was just like you in a way. Suffered, Alone, and joined Strega."

Daedalus listened intently.

"She applied self-harm on herself," He noted, "We only stopped her from doing it for so long, it's a wonder. A-Anyways, what business is it to you?!"

"Chidori-san sounds like a nice person, despite all that..." She had a light smile on her face. "We were all forced to overcome obstacles... huh?"

Daedalus was too much into thought until she felt something cold. She noticed she had bumped into someone, and when she looked up, she noticed it was Takaya with a very ugly smile.

"My, my, little Daedalus." Takaya chuckled, "Have you still not learned the true meaning of hate?"

"T-Takaya-sama..." She barely spoke. Only a whisper was heard out of her mouth now. She scooted away from Takaya before anything could happen, but he grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her a little closer to him.

"Caring for the poor fellow... what was it, Akihiko..?" His golden eyes never moved. "Your relationship is...unfitting when it comes to learn about hate. If you let your feelings get to you, you won't want to hate at all."

"I-I can hate..." Her throat clenched up on her. How could she speak to him without getting all hyped up about it? "I can hate! What're you talking about?! Takaya-sama..."

"Are you sure about that?" Takaya asked her. "You've disappointed me very much Daedalus Tavi..."

"...I'm sorry, Takaya-sama..." Daedalus's hair hid her face that showed that she did wrong. She closed her eyes to train her central thought again, "I'll try my best..."

"Good..." He nodded, "You will go out tonight to Tartarus and train with Jin. Indeed, it should not be like this, having to kill the helpless Shadows in there. However, for your sake, you must do it."

"Don't worry, Takaya." Jin answered back, "I'll keep a good watch on her."

…

"I taught Dae well, then." Shinjiro finished up the last bite he took from the share that Akihiko gave him. "Not as good as mine... but, she tried her best while making it."

"Why can't Daedalus just come back already?" Fuuka whined, "It was fun hanging out with her. Not to mention, she felt comfortable here."

"Patience is a virtue." Mitsuru answered. "It'll only be a matter of time before she creates the right decision."

"I still can't believe it, though..." Yukari huffed, "She wanted to tell Senpai how she really felt... and that Darker Half ruined it for her."  
"We kinda knew it from the start," Junpei sighed, "She really did care for you, Senpai."

Akihiko said nothing to retort that. He realized why Dae felt awkward around him sometimes, or whenever the people said they were a couple. He looked away.

"We shouldn't just mope around, though!" Yukari was getting frustrated. "If Strega wants to fight, we'll give them a fight! We're going to save Daedalus no matter what!"

"Yukari-chan, it is best to act cautiously and follow our leader's orders." Aigis began to warn her. "We could all be severely injured like Daira-san was."

"Don't remind me..." Junpei's eyes widened. "Those vines... She must've been pretty scared in order to use them, huh?"

Ken said nothing, and Shinjiro never spoke after that. All Koromaru could do was whine, and Aigis began to translate that.

"Koro-chan says: 'She might be at the Nagaraki Shrine, again.'"

"The next time I go, I can check to see if Daedalus appeared." He requested. "Daedalus can't run out of town, right?"

"Unless she's with Strega, or somehow teleported again, we don't know." Mitsuru answered his question.

"It's only a few days till the next Full Moon..." Minato could feel something dangerous in his instincts. "We cannot stress so much over Daedalus. Who knows? She may even appear at the next Full Moon, and that'll give us the time to convince her."

"If any, Minato-kun." Yukari mentioned to him. "There's still more. It says something about Daedalus having a sister that was found dead when the mother died. _That _wouldn't be something to mention to Dae. She'd never forgive herself..."

"I request permission to use Lucia once in awhile to find her, Senpai." She turned to Mitsuru, and then Minato.

"..." Mitsuru looked at Minato with hesitation. "It's your choice."

"I don't mind, but..." Minato trailed off. "J-Just don't go after her. Not for awhile anyway."

"It's my duty to look after you all by scanning for Shadows." Fuuka stressed. "Since her Persona's part Shadow, it should not be really difficult to scan for her."

"It'll only be time that will tell if Daedalus can fight with us or not." Shinjiro huffed. "The idiot's always getting into some sort of trouble now..."

…

Daedalus sat with a leg hanging down from one of the Trees by Gekkoukan High. Only a few more hours til' the Dark Hour, but she had to be careful not to get caught by the Security Cameras. She was just looking up at the Moon that was slowly growing full. October 4th..._October 4__th__!!_

"That's when Amada's mother died... right?" Daedalus was speaking to herself. "I forgot about it... And the Full Moon is on October Fourth!"

She fixed her Pigtails before looking back at the High School.

"As much as I wanna know what will happen on that day... it's not going to happen." She found Jin looking up something on Revenge Request. "What are you doing?"

"What's it look like?" He snapped at her, "For some reason, a lot of requests for shootings are coming in. I don't see _you _trying to handle them."

"Well _excuse _me, Bomberboy." She sighed, "You know, you really shouldn't flash a Computer's light around here, we could be caught on camera."

"Well, why don't you stop asking stupid questions and use your vines to destroy it?"

"Because I still go to this school, thank you very much." She hated when Jin gave her comments like that. She used her two legs to hang off the tree like a monkey grabbing a banana. This wasn't the normal her.

"How long?"

"Only a few more minutes." Jin mumbled, "Til' the Dark Hour that is."

* * *

_**Not one of my best chapters, but I'm happy to get it done with (hopefully) a bit of humor involved before the *hint hint* really depressing parts come up. Daedalus has changed for the worse of it, or is she...?**_

_**Keep in mind that when I was doing the Birthday Chapter (23 & 24), I WAS going to do this, but then I was thinking about "What if...?", and replaced it with a small one like this.**_

_**Daedalus & Daira Tavi (C) Me**_

_**Persona 3 (C) ATLUS**_


	26. Reverse a Tarot Part I

**Chapter 26 – Reverse a Tarot (Part I)**

October came. However, most of the members were completely oblivious to the fact that a disaster was happening—No_ will _happen. October 3rd... That was what it said on the calendar, right?

Daedalus was going to school today, and was going to avoid them again... it was going to hurt more than normal though. Especially since she knew of the incident that happened that day.

Riding the train, she saw her ex-teammates and turned her head away from them so they wouldn't say anything to her. She heaved a great sigh, but there were some okay things in her life.

Fuko was easily teaching her how to play the flute, and she was getting better at it each practice. Each time she passed a note, or a couple of notes on a sheet, she noticed the Social Link grow higher and higher as time went on in her life. She had no idea what the necklace was for, but she thought about the possibilities the best she could.

At lunchtime, Fuko and Daedalus sat and spoke about what was going on in their lives. Fuko was eating the normal food from the shop for some reason, and that worried Dae.

"Fuko-san," She began to speak, "Why are you eating the School Food? Your bento box is right by you."

"Mine?" She let out a hearty laugh, "Daedalus-chan, that would be for _you_."

"E-Eh?!" Daedalus' eyes dilated from her words. She didn't realize Fuko was pushing it closer to her.

"I know you're not much of a meat fanatic, so I put stuff like rice and shrimp in...despite it being meat as _well_, but-"

"Y-You didn't have to..." Daedalus took the chopsticks that Fuko was handing out to her.

"It was a gift, besides..." Fuko created a heavy sigh, "I'll... I'll be moving soon..."

Daedalus stopped herself from putting food in her mouth by dropping the chopsticks in the box. "W-What...?"

"I'll be leaving soon." Fuko sighed, "Mother wants me to move back to Tokyo. She says this school is too close to the news media, so I'll be leaving in Late October."

"..." Daedalus clenched her hands into fists. Another one...

"Daedalus, I have something I want to ask you of." Fuko smiled sadly. "The Gekkoukan High Band was going to play a song, and I was going to sing it... However..."

She looked down.

"I'll be packing in that week, and will not be able to practice or sing it." Fuko sighed, "It's an American Scream-o song that my friend showed me, and it's pretty depressing. However, I was going to sing it for our last concert with me in it. And Daira... Daira's hospitalized, too..."

"I heard..." Daedalus looked away. She's the one who caused it.. "But-"

"But, I want to give you the lyrics and something else." She winked, "But, that something else will be on the day I leave."

"When do you leave?" Daedalus asked.

"October 27th, the same day of the Concert." She replied. "You have almost a month to practice. I'll be really pleased even if I leave if you do this for me..."

Daedalus thought for a second, and looked at the clock. Less than 30 seconds til' Class started off again, so she had to choose. It was now or never-

"I'll do it!" Daedalus finished the food quickly, all the while complimenting her. "I'll help you and make you happy. I promise that."

"Thank you, Daedalus." She heard the bell rang and walked off. "I hope to see you on stage singing."

...

The day went on and the Sun was beginning to set after awhile. Daedalus had stayed after school to help tune the instruments with Fuuka. As reluctant as she wanted to see one of the members, she couldn't just abandon the Band just because of SEES.

Daedalus got the stick and beat the drum with it. Okay, that was done.

"Time to check the guitars..." Her voice easily trailed because of Daira. "Daira played the electric guitar, right?"

She took no notice of Fuuka, who just looked at her with a sympathetic look. She looked around until she found Daira's guitar (which she could easily distinguish since it had a black color with a red stripe on it), and began to fix up the strings on it. She knew of Daira's condition in the hospital, and that it might get to the point where she's paralyzed to the waist down. She didn't want to cry in front of Fuuka, because she would've run away then and there. She just had to believe... Believe-  
"Ow." Daedalus hissed. She checked to see what happened, and found that one of the strings gave her a cut. Her index finger had the skin peeling on where it was cut, but for some reason blood did not come out. "Darn... I should've known this would've happened."

"Daedalus-chan, are you alright?!" Dae was pretty bewildered on why Fuuka still called her "Daedalus-'chan.'"

"It's just a cut, nothing more." She was going to continue with the guitar, when she saw Fuuka grab her wrist.

"No, it's not." Fuuka sighed, dragging her to her backpack to find that she had band-aids in there. "Blood _will _come out if you don't get this bandaged quickly."

Daedalus didn't bother arguing anymore. She just looked away from Fuuka as the teal-haired girl wrapped it up nice and neatly. When she was finished, Daedalus just sat there in silence.

"I'll finish up the rest." Fuuka told her, "You go on out, alright?"

_'Why is Fuuka being so nice to me..?' _Daedalus picked up her things from the floor, and began to walk out of the room. When she passed by the gym that evening, she took note of Akihiko sparring with one of the boxing members, then walked off again when she saw enough. Obviously, she had more to do than just stare at her ex-friend.

"I'll need to prepare for the upcoming midterms," She was talking to herself, "Maybe I'll even visit Daira..."

She strapped her bags up over her shoulder and began to run over the bridge.

…

The next day was the Full Moon for S.E.E.S.... but, Daedalus couldn't think about that at the moment. Daedalus had to get up and get ready for an outing, especially since Jin was the one to usually wake her up in the morning. October 4th...

"Daedalus, are you awake?" Takaya's voice rang from the door of the hotel Strega stayed at. He cracked open the door only to find her looking at him in confusion.

"Takaya-sama, what do you want...?" Her necklace was still there... but it was easily matchable with a silky dress that was the color of white, just like her old one. Her hair just fell down her shoulders like it normally did, but some fell to her back. Did it grow longer?

"I wanted to say to come home... _early _tonight..." Takaya tried to find the right words. It sounded like he was plotting something. "I'm going to take you somewhere, and don't worry... I'll bring your equipment."

"Right..." She nodded, "I-I'll come home early, Takaya-sama..."

When Takaya closed the door, she got off of the bed to change into her clothing. The clothing she was wearing seemed like a remodeled version of the white dress she had back at the Dorm. Frills cuffed up parts around the arms and chest area, with a blue line running across the dress. You could see her bare shoulders with the dress on, along with Sesshou's marking on the right arm. A light ribbon to match the dress was also worn, and she wore regular dress shoes on her feet with knee-high socks. Somehow, she felt like this wasn't going to feel good.

…

Daira was unconscious when Daedalus entered the white hospital room. She had been like that ever since those vines basically ripped her apart. Her arms were scarred up, and her hair was matted with blood. She had never really seen her sister with the hair falling down her shoulders, but she noticed it now. The oxygen mask was already on her mouth, and she had many wires attached to her body. Everything up to her shoulders was covered with blankets, so all there was were cords. Even her face was scratched up...

"I warned you..." Daedalus was shaking, "I...I told you to stay away from me... but, you refused..."

She looked at her cousin's heartbeats echo on the machine, but then averted her gaze right back to her.

"I don't blame you if you hate me..." She continued, "I-I don't even blame you if you don't wake up for me..."

She reached under the covers for Daira's hand. It felt so cold... and her skin looked so pale... Daedalus clutched it with both of her hands.

"Cousin..." She began to cry, "Wake up. Say something... Yell at me, do something...!"

The pale brown eyes were slowly fading to the point where she just wanted her heart to stop and leave her as still as a statue. She couldn't have stopped the injuries, she couldn't. Sesshou caught her weak points and left her lighter half—herself, to be captured in black vines.

She felt the cold hand clutch onto hers and found herself looking at Daira lightly open her eyes again.

"Y-You're noisy... you know that..?" Daira coughed a bit, and you could barely hear her voice due to the mask. "H-How many days have I been here...?"

"Haa... Daira!" She sighed in relief, "Since the 23rd of last month... Almost two weeks..."

"You ran..." Daira replied. "Ran away... really far. I remember... blacking out after you ran..."

"I know..." Daedalus sighed. "I can't find myself... I can't find what I think is right..."

"Daedalus..." Her eyes closed, with a large smile forming. "Y-You'll find yourself, alright...? Quit being stupid... You're a Tavi. You braved your way out by finding Akihiko and Shinjiro... and SEES..."

Daedalus kept quiet.

"Stay strong..." Her consciousness was slowly fading. "You'll... never lose..."

Daedalus saw Daira mouth a word, but she couldn't tell what it was. She heard the doctor come in, and automatically knew what time it was. She had to leave anyways, because it was already getting later at night.

And the Dark Hour wasn't going to wait...

…

_"Takaya-sama, where are we going?"_

The Dark Hour had risen upon the two white-haired humans, and they were walking across the streets. Just like any other Full Moon, Apathy Syndrome cases rose, and coffins were always infesting the streets. He had still not given her the equipment—what was going on?

"We are going somewhere along Port Island, little Daedalus." Takaya was letting her in. "Around an alley that I usually hang out in to do 'Revenge Request' duties..."

"Wait, we're going to actually do one today...?" Daedalus was confused, "But... The Dark Hour-"

"No, no..." Takaya had pat her head as if he was patting a dog. "I just wanted to show you something you might... _like _to see..."

"W-What do you mean-"

"Shh..." He interrupted her and pushed her behind a wall they were coming close to. Daedalus could hear voices rambling on, and listened intently to what they were saying.

"_...killing myself... but Mom wouldn't have wanted that." _A kid's voice... Ken? "That's why I decided that I had to find her killer—_you!_"

Daedalus scooted a little farther to see into the alley. Her eyes happened to widen at the scene.

Ken Amada was holding his spear out, and confronting a man. No... that man was _Shinjiro_... and that must've been the person who killed Ken's mother! Daedalus couldn't start thinking about this at a situation like they were in right now, Ken was basically looking for trouble!

"I'll make you remember what you did to her," Ken wouldn't stop yelling, "I'm gonna kill you!!"

Daedalus made a slight gasp, but not as loud so they wouldn't hear.

"Do it." Shinjiro coaxed him.

Daedalus covered her mouth in horror.

"...Do it!" Shinjiro repeated, "I won't stop you. You're right... I wanted to forget. That's why I left the group and tried to suppress my power..."

Daedalus froze in fear. What was Shinjiro saying? Did he really-

"Nothing I did could erase the memory, and now I found myself here – the last place I _want _to be..."

Ken stayed quiet now. He just listened and glared at Shinjiro with his big brown eyes.

"It's my fault, and this is what I deserve..." Shinjiro noted, "But... Let me give you one warning."

"Warning?" Ken repeated.

"If you decide to take my life, you'll end up like me." He wouldn't stop talking. "Just remember that..."

"Will that change my mind?" Ken asked him. "I know if you killed someone close enough to Daedalus, she would've done the same thing!"

Daedalus turned away. She couldn't have tried to kill, because she can't kill. Shadows were her only resort to kill without feeling any sorrow! If she had killed a friend...

"Even if all you have now is hatred, one day you'll regret it." Shinjiro gave his wise words, but that's when Daedalus felt a tug on her wrist.

"Shut up! That's a load of crap!!" Ken commanded, but froze when he heard Takaya's voice.

"He is correct." Takaya was practically dragging Daedalus, and her equipment in a bag that she had only noticed til' now. "There is no reason for him to feel regret."

"Daedalus..." Shinjiro gave an ugly glare, "...You."

"It's Daedalus..." Ken pointed the obvious.

"The loss of Chidori has posed a bit of a challenge for us... and even though we cannot ignore it, I sense a feeling of betrayal in all of your hearts."

Takaya took out his gun, and when he brought the bag off his shoulder, he poured all the equipment out on the floor, which made Daedalus yelp.

Her gloves were broken down, and the tarot cards were ripped. Her clips were also smashed into pieces, and all she had to do was trust him with it.

"My... My equipment!" She winced, "It's the only way... I can protect others and myself!"

She turned to Takaya, "What is this for?! Why'd you do this?!"

Takaya just ignored her and cocked his revolver. He just looked at them with a devilish smile.

"Do not fear. This life is but a stepping stone..." Takaya noted. "Salvation shall be yours..."

Daedalus could not believe what she was hearing. She was tricked to follow the man that she _thought _she could trust after awhile only to find a murder scene waiting to happen! She looked away from everyone's face, having to look like this.

"What?!" Shinjiro ran in front of Ken, who had already put down his spear.

"You cannot defy fate," Takaya continued to speak. "You shall die, whether or not it is at the hand of this boy..."

Shinjiro was now as quiet as a mouse. Daedalus was curious on what Takaya meant by that, and seemed to get her answer by the last sentence.

"You and Daedalus have been taking those pills for quite some time now..." He looked at her, "You both don't have much longer..."

"Huh?!" She looked back at Takaya, and backed away from him. "Are you saying... Those pills... I'll just die from them?!"

"What's he talking about?!" Ken finally spoke up, but no one answered him.

"That's bullshit..." Shinjiro barked at him.

"You know it to be true, just listen to your body..."

"Does that mean..." Ken was speaking up now. "You're going to die?! No matter what I do? It's not fair!! I've been waiting all this time..."

"The cause is no longer of importance, anyways..." Takaya just kept egging them on. "You were going to join him after, were you not?"

Shinjiro's eyes widened, and then looked at Ken.

"N-No, stop!" Daedalus cried out, but she felt Takaya grab her left arm and toss her over to where the two were at. She doubled over in pain from the hard ground, but got up only to cover Ken with what seemed like an embrace. Ken dropped his spear when feeling this.

Shinjiro noticed Daedalus shaking, but took off the red jacket only to find his uniform for Gekkoukan. He finally revealed his hair when he tossed his beanie off to her as well.

"Shinji..." Daedalus mumbled.

"All three of you seemed destined to perish..." Takaya took a deep breath. "Allow me to do the honors..."

"Go to hell!" Shinjiro had his fist up and ran into Takaya's direction.

_*BANG*_

Not quick enough.

"Agh...!!!" Shinjiro was shot right in front of where Daedalus was standing. Daedalus winced, a very loud wince indeed. She had just witnessed her friend hit with a deadly bullet, and she...she—!

"With what life you have left, answer me..." Takaya aimed his revolver at Shinjiro's face. "There is one like Chidori among you, is there not? This has allowed you to go pretty far and kill those that we wish to protect."

Shinjiro didn't answer him.

"What's the matter?" Takaya grinned, "Do you fear being held at gunpoint...?"

"There's no one-"

"No, there is!" Ken cried out under Daedalus's arms. "It's me! I'm the one you want!"

"Is that true?"

"Yes..."

"Ken, he's going to kill you..." Daedalus cried out, "Don't-!!"

Takaya walked over to Shinjiro's spot and kicked him where he had taken the bullet. Shinjiro cried out in pain, and Daedalus held a hand out to him, completely knocking off the items he had given her.

"Daedalus, I am not asking you..." Takaya muttered. "I do not see why you are protecting this boy anyways... You're useless to the point where you cannot win this upcoming tragedy..."

"I'd rather _die _than have you kill Ken..." Daedalus clutched onto the small boy. "Because of you... I realize now. I realize that all you did for me was just a _lie_! You wanted to see me suffer right here, right now! This is what you were going to do even if I didn't go, wasn't it?!"

"It's not like it matters anymore..." Ken cried out, "I'll never have my revenge! I don't have a reason to live..!"

"Now you have achieved resolution, I see." Takaya pointed the revolver at the small boy. "Then you will be before the friends... I'm surprised..."

"_Rest... Peacefully..."_

_*BANG*_

_

* * *

_

_**...To be continued.**_

**Persona 3 (C) ATLUS**

**Daedalus & Daira Tavi (C) Me.**


	27. Reverse a Tarot Part II

**Chapter 27 – Reverse a Tarot (Part II)**

Frozen.

That's how Ken and Daedalus were.

Frozen.

Daedalus had ran in front of Ken, only to find Shinjiro in front of both of them. Her eyes could not widen anymore than they were doing now. She was too close to the shot, and now she had blood smeared on her. Shinji's uniform was bloodstained, and he was now kneeling in a pool of his own blood.

"S-Shinjiro..." Daedalus fell to her knees and embraced her dying friend despite the blood that was now staining her clothes at that moment. "Shinji... No..."

"What is the meaning of _this_?" Takaya retracted the gun. How could he have missed and shot him instead?! "Why would you risk your life to save these two?"

Daedalus couldn't help but bury her face into the hair that was falling to the side of his shoulders. She could feel the blood flow to her dress, but she didn't care. He had already taken a second bullet.

"_Shinji!" _Daedalus could hear Akihiko's voice travel from another part of the hall. Before Takaya left in the shadows, though, she could hear him whisper.

"_I'm disappointed in you, Daedalus Tavi."_

"Shinjiro-senpai!" Junpei cried out as they all ran to circle the normally hooded boy. Fuuka, Yukari, Akihiko, and Daedalus were all surrounding him.

Shinjiro wheezed. "What's with the long face...? Isn't this what you wanted...?"

Ken couldn't answer the questions given to him. Daedalus already had tears ready to fall from her eyes, but did not want to let him go.

"No, Senpai..!" Fuuka rubbed his back (where it _wasn't _bleeding) to help get all the coughing out.

"...Daedalus."

Daedalus let go with blood that touched her and all. She looked at Shinjiro with her teeth gritted, and her fists clenched.

"Y-You've grown..." He began to speak, "You've grown a lot... Ever since I met you."

Daedalus couldn't speak up at all. She just didn't feel like looking at any of them, because she was part of getting Shinjiro killed!

"It's alright." Shinjiro pushed Fuuka's hand away. "Give both of yourselves some time. Let your anger be your strength..."

Shinjiro's breath was being taken away... _Every. Last. One._

"Come on guys, you're still both kids." Shinjiro had his face covered by his hair, but you could barely see his eyes. "You have your whole life to live, so don't waste it. Make it your own, okay..?"

"Aki... Take care of them for me." Shinjiro requested out of his best friend.

"I will..." Akihiko sounded like he was going to cry for a second there.

He tried to stand up on his own feet, and Daedalus was right behind him-tears and all.

"Don't cry, Dae-Dae..." He said her nickname for the first time, but that didn't stop her from following him to wherever he was walking.

"_...This is how it should be..."_

With that, Daedalus tried to stop him from walking anymore, but he finally collapsed and knocked her down with him. His head was now on her knees, and she tried to bend down the best she could to see if he was still breathing.

...No pulse.

"S-Shinji-kun..." Daedalus began to cry on Shinjiro's shoulder, "H-He's gone... _No!!!_"

The scenery went gray... Everything that was around her turned gray again. Just like with Daira.

She felt her necklace glow a Jet Black color that illuminated from in between them, _just _like Daira!

_'Thou art I... and I art thou...' _Had she maxed another one?

_'Thou hath taken the Death Social Link to it's Full Bloom...'_

There was the "Full Bloom" thing again. It still didn't catch her mind on what it meant.

_'Thou's causality has given thy person knowledge on their true self... Another required for Blackbullets.'_

She was expecting another question, but nevertheless she flinched at the word again.

_'Henceforth, ye hath established an unbreakable vow...'_

Daedalus hid her face in her hair, and, as if on cue she and Ken...

Screamed.

"_Waaaaaaaaaaah!!!"_

…

…

…

Daedalus nor Akihiko came to school the next day. This was kind of odd though, because Akihiko was_ never _absent from Gekkoukan High. Maybe Dae, but not Akihiko.

"_No words can express the sense of loss we feel as a result of this terrible tragedy."_

The memorial had already started, and all of the SEES members had their heads down in silence, listening to their pathetic speech to try and show their sympathy.

"_...Mind if I sit with you?"_

Yukari turned to find Fuko Taourze sneaking into the room to sit by _them _instead of by the regular Seniors. The brown-haired girl just looked at her.

"Go ahead." Yukari pointed to the empty seat by Aigis, and Fuko made her way in.

"I heard Daedalus didn't come to school today, again..." She created a huge sigh. "I'm a friend of hers, and I'm sorry for what happened to you all..."

"_Shut up." _For a second there, Fuko thought Junpei was shouting at her. However, he was shouting at some Seniors in front of him.

"Huh? What're you doing?" The black-haired boy asked with after jumping up from the first shout.

"I said _shut up_!" He hollered at them, but was easily sat down by Mrs. Toriumi.

"Iori, sit down!" The teacher yelled at him, "I'll never hear the end of this..."

"You haven't seen them, right Minato-kun?" Yukari asked, "Senpai and Daedalus, I mean..."

"No, I haven't, sadly." Minato replied. "Hopefully, he'll be alright. Same with Daedalus, I'm sure she was pretty shaken with that incident."  
"This time, it would be wise to leave her alone.." Aigis warned. "She is already disturbed, and will need proper time to recover."

…

The two still hadn't appeared in front of SEES after school, at least, Daedalus didn't.

She was covering herself with Shinjiro's large red coat, and that only showed her feet that were covered with blood on the bottom. The coat was pretty large, so the sleeves often slid down on her, and all she did was cover her face with the black beanie he gave her. Though, she wasn't _physically _okay, either.

The gym's wall was cracked a bit, mostly because Takaya had followed her few minutes before and kicked the living crap out of her. Light cuts and bruises were all over her face, and even if Takaya 'cared' for her, he didn't show any mercy. She was shaking in fetal position, and she felt like she was just going to be dropped off and left alone again.

"S-Shinji-kun..." She still wondered why she was calling him that even now. She _betrayed _them with this incident, "Forgive me... Shinjiro..."

She stood up after getting out of fetal position the best way she could. She spotted the punching bag that some Seniors and Juniors allowed her to use when she was first spotted inside the gym. Her back was seriously hurting her, but she could tell when he broke a bone or not. It didn't feel that way.

Her first punch hit the punching bag weakly. "It's my fault that he's gone..."

She let out another weary punch at the bag and began to speak to herself.

"My fault... It's all my fault!" She shouted, "He could've lived... He could have lived even longer than he should have!"

She didn't even realize that Sesshou's strength was forming an aura around her while she was basically busting the ever-loving crap out of the punching bag. The punching bag was ripping now, and scratches were now forming on her fist, which was causing the skin to peel off.

She let out two last impacts with a scream emerging from her lips, but didn't realize that her hand let out blood and went over her pale fingers, soon dripping to the ground. She fell to her knees again and whimpered; She felt so useless...

"_What's happening around here?" _Akihiko was walking into the gym with his jacket slung behind his back like always. Daedalus didn't bother turning around for him like she usually did, so he tried to start a conversation. "I heard from around school that you were in the Gym."

"..." Daedalus continued to stay quiet.

Akihiko turned to the punching bag and walked closer to where she was at. "What's with that?"

"What do you think?" She snapped at him. "All I've been good for is hurting people. I can't channel my power like _you _all can. I couldn't even protect _him_..."

"That explains why you're still wearing his jacket," Akihiko pointed out. "He's gone, Dae... He truly-"

"I _know _that!" She turned to him, but winced at the shock of pain going up her spine. "Don't _remind _me! I know he's gone... I _saw _it with my own eyes, like Ken!"

She struggled to get back up on her feet, and Akihiko shook his head in disbelief when he saw her hands.

"Do you really think harming yourself will do good?" He asked her. "Are you sure you actually love me?"

Her eyes widened when she heard what he said, and blush began to form across her face. "W-Who told you that?! I-I mean-!"

"When we fought your Darker Half, she blurted out what you thought before you could even respond to it." He looked away, "...I don't know how to respond to that."

Daedalus looked down ignoring the blood that dripped onto the floor. Her pale brown eyes were faded, and crying wasn't going to change the fact that he knew now. She heaved a great sigh.

"Yeah... So what if I do now?" She asked herself, "Go ahead and hate me, since I was part of hurting you inside... and hurting you on the outside, too."

"Daedalus, you're turning 15 years old in December.." Akihiko scolded. "You're on your own now... You should know that. Everything's not going to just leave you alone, it's going to go back and bite you in the end."

"..."

"Strega wasn't cut out for you... I can already see that." He looked away from her, "You're already injured right now because of them, and you thought you could trust them with your heart. You're too soft."

"K-Kh..." She flinched at the word 'soft.' She felt like she was being told off by Dark Daedalus, but it was Akihiko obviously. She looked up at him with the tears sliding down her cheeks, and noticed he was digging in his pocket.

"Here." He tossed an item that looked like a golden pocketwatch at her, and then tossed a letter that was addressed to her. "I checked by Shinji's room the other day... Apparently, he knew this was gonna happen. That guy..."

Akihiko didn't bother saying goodbye. He just turned away and walked off in silence; this left her in deep thought. After he left, she walked out the gym (well, limped. Pain _wasn't_ easy to ignore) to open and read the letter that her friend had left her. The sunlight had shone on her, so it would be easier to read the letter before the sun finally set.

"_Daedalus,"_

She read the first word off of it, that was obviously her name. She hesitated before reading the page that Shinjiro left her, but she had to.

"_By the time you get this... It may be when I'm either gone, or weeks after I am..._

_Damn, kid... You're really growing up. You're actually learning how to fight now, and you somehow appeared in Port Island. It was.. kind of alright, seeing you one last time. To actually see you fighting in Tartarus might of scared Aki a bit, but..."_

Daedalus had tears welling up in her eyes again. Hadn't she already cried enough?

"_October 4__th__... I killed Amada's mother by accident due to my goddamn Persona, Castor. ...Suppressants were the only way to go, but for some reason you stopped taking them for awhile. I wonder why that is, especially because of that Darker Half still taunting you. Daedalus, tonight I will be confronting that kid, and I hold no regrets on what he's doing. He was going to kill me, and this is what I deserve.."_

Daedalus couldn't stop thinking about those last few words of that sentence. Ken felt revengeful, yes... but, he didn't deserve to die. She continued reading the last of the paragraph he wrote, which seemed to be slightly smudged in blood—probably because he forgot to take his pills that night.

"_Don't be a loner, Dae. Even if you feel like you're alone, you still have Aki and S.E.E.S.. Everyone knows how you feel about Aki now, so make it true. Take this watch, and remember you're still fighting for something..._

_Shinjiro Aragaki-"_

She did laugh a little at the final closing, though.

"_Or, as that stupid name:_

_Shinji-kun."_

The gray atmosphere came back again. Though, what was it doing here now? Didn't she already max the Social Link of Shinjiro already?

Though, she thought she could've seen Akihiko's reflection in the distance. Was this _his _Social Link?

_'Thou art I... and I art thou...'_

_'Thou hath taken the Emperor Social Link to it's Full Bloom...'_

What was it this time?

_'While love is such a confusing emotion from the heart... Friendship will always carry on.'_

_'That is the way...'_

"Of the Blackbullet Clan..." She could almost memorize the words by heart.

_Henceforth, ye hath established an unbreakable vow...'_

Daedalus finally took off Shinjiro's beanie and looked up directly into the cloudy sky after the necklace gained another feather.

"I may go back to SEES," She began, "But, I'll see it through to the end."

She closed her eyes one more time. "See you later, Shinji-kun. I'll fight with all my might... Maybe with SEES... Maybe without..."

"It seems Daedalus is not coming back... Even _with _all the talk that Akihiko-senpai did..." Fuuka hesitated. "I really want to go convince her! I go to the same activity _with _her and all I did was bandage a cut she got from a guitar string?! I should've tried to convince her to come back!"

Akihiko had said to leave them both alone, since they could choose what they wanted to do. However, Fuuka immediately refused to rest until she did something to help them all come together again.

"And with Ken-kun not in his room, it makes it harder to think about where they could be." Yukari noted. "Were they really that close?"

"...Yes." Mitsuru grabbed her shoulder in hesitation. "Akihiko... Saved her once from being abused by her parents, and also took her in on September 18th when she ran away. Shinjiro supported him with taking care of her... at least, that's what he told me."

"The only thing that really worries me is the fact that little Dae-Dae has to deal with Strega." Junpei replied. "Chidori's still in the hospital, so that isn't the issue. It's that goddamn Takaya and Jin that she should be worried about."

"Akihiko-senpai said something about Daedalus having bruises everywhere on her body." Minato announced. "Some she caused herself, but some seemed like something another person would did it. Since no one really wants to hurt her, Takaya or Jin could've attacked at the wrong time."

Yukari sighed one more time. "And all we can do is wait... I mean, she _is _still a kid."

* * *

**_Sorry, lately I've been kind of depressed. My brother was deported to Afghanistan, and there have been some friend problems. It should've came out earlier, but I'm kind of glad how it came out at in the end. I need to work on Links to Fantasy as well *sigh*._**

**_So Daedalus has not achieved Full Resolution... but, what will she do..?_**

**_Daedalus Tavi (C) Me_**

**_Persona 3 (C) ATLUS_**


	28. おかえりなさい！

**Chapter 28 – ****おかえりなさい！**

**(Welcome Home!)**

The next night, Daedalus slept on the floor... or tried to. Thoughts shuffled around in her mind as she looked at the clouds cover the moon as she covered herself in Shinjiro's jacket. The thing was... why was she at the dorm? Her eyes were half-lidded as she got on her knees to look at the moon. Takaya or Jin couldn't risk coming there... She would've made noise too quickly and S.E.E.S. Would've came outside. She remembered seeing Ken come into the dorm only a few hours ago, and now it was becoming late at night. She still denied the fact that it wasn't her fault—her mind was still stuck on watching that trigger be pulled... What was wrong with her?

She got closer to the wall, hearing voices... were they really still there?

"_Daedalus-chan is probably gone by now..."_ Yukari turned to Mitsuru in hesitation. "...Senpai?"

"When Tavi first ran off, the Chairman was contacted immediately." Daedalus could hear her tone: saddened, but cold. "I was told to wait, but..."

"_...Now that I think about it, Daedalus probably isn't comfortable around us anymore."_

Daedalus exhaled. Her eyes turned to face the floor, but could it be true? She remembered the letter; she only left so she could protect them from any harm against them. However...

"So.. Dae-Dae won't be coming back right?" Junpei's voice sounded like it had a twinge of guilt. "I kind of blame myself... Not being able to have her back when she needed it."

_*smack*_

At least... that's what it sounded like when Daedalus kicked the wall of the dorm unwillingly. She kicked it a second, then a third time.

"What's _wrong _with me?" She didn't bother using the fists again. They were touched with dry blood now. "I was only trying to protect them... but, it only made it worse."

A fourth, a fifth.

"And now, even Daira's the hospital, too..." Her voice was breaking up, as if she were going on the verge of tears again. She began to step away from the wall, as if she were walking away.

However, she fell on all fours and wailed loudly. Her hand could barely clutch back into a fist, so she only had her palms and knees touching the hard ground. She was so oblivious to the front door opening.

"Why should I... even bother anymore?" She asked herself many questions, even if she wanted to achieve resolution back at the school... she couldn't do it. She couldn't face the boxer... that was her weakness, right?

She stayed there as if she was a dog being kicked around. Her eyes widened and shut tightly when she felt someone's hand on her shoulder. She was sniffling loudly, her tears falling the floor quicker than any others before. Her eyes began to swell up, any more crying would most likely hurt.

"You bother because you care," Daedalus averted her gaze to find Ken looking at her with eyes that seemed like they were looking deep into her soul or feelings. "Daedalus-san..."

"K-Ken-kun..." Her voice was barely a whisper now. They were probably wondering how long she was out there. She saw Mitsuru and Yukari right by her, too. "Y-Yukari-san... M-Mitsuru-senpai..."

"Don't you get it, Dae-chan?" Yukari's look formed into a grin. "We _all _care about you... We've been trying to take care of you because you needed to be."

"You heard everything, didn't you?" Mitsuru looked at her with question in her eyes.

"..Only some." Daedalus sighed, "I told you guys... I can't go back."

Minato and Junpei ran outside with Aigis and Fuuka.

"Dae-chan!" Fuuka cried out before running in front of her to embrace her. "Oh... We were just as worried about Ken as we were about you!"

"F-Fuuka-san...?" Her face was in surprise. Did they really want her back? "B-But I-"

"You may have left SEES, but you only thought what you felt was right." Minato walked to her side, "You thought you were alone, and that you couldn't be helped. I don't know what Takaya is planning, but..."

Minato held out his hand, in which she looked at it.. then back at him.

"I still believe you can fight."

"...Can you fight along with us, Daedalus Tavi?" Mitsuru for the first time used her full name.

Daedalus thought again. Once she came back, she had to promise she wouldn't hurt them anymore. She did not answer, but she pushed Ken's arm away, and broke from the embrace. She looked back at Minato, lifting up her arm slowly, but carefully. She ignored the bloody knuckles, and didn't know whether to take his hand and stand up on her own two feet, or reject the offer and stay down.

"..." Her hand finally clasped onto Minato's after a few minutes, in which Minato pulled her up to stand. Once she was pulled up, though, Yukari ran up to her and gave her a large hug. Daedalus smiled, broke away, and hugged Ken as well. Koromaru ran around her legs, and barked with his tail wagging as if he was super ecstatic. She took the pocket watch out of the jacket's pocket, and looked at the golden touched time-teller.

"I'll help you all out, I promise that." She looked up at all of them. "I'll fix my wrongs, and I'll destroy the Dark Hour, even if I have to live with this forever!"

…

"Daedalus, are you okay?!" Fuko ran up to her the next day. "After the funeral, I was looking all over for you!"

"I'm alright..." She waved her hand as if she were shrugging off the incident. "I was pretty depressed, but I'm alright now."

Daedalus's hair was clipped together as if she used two hairclips on one bang. The rest of her hair fell down on her back, and she basically looked the same except for the fact that she had bruises under her sleeves from battling Takaya off. There were also her hands bandaged up, and she now held Shinjiro's pocketwatch clipped onto one part of the skirt. She had washed off the blood that had been on her for days now, and she looked perfectly normal again. Okay, not perfect, but... you get it.

"I'm sorry I worried you, Fuko-senpai." Daedalus bowed politely. "What have I been missing?"

"Midterms on the 13th." She whined. "You've got a lot of work to catch up on, sadly."

Daedalus merely winced. "Well, it's okay. I'm just glad that I'm back into school again... even talking with my old buddies, too."

"I really thought you'd leave or something..." Fuko began to grin. "Well, why am I thinking so hard? Come, let's get to the Music room, okay? I mean, it _is _lunchtime after all."

"Right." Daedalus walked on her side when following the Senior. She began to walk with her, until she asked something. "How's Keisuke-san?"

"What, Hiraga?" Fuko chuckled. "He's been having problems in his life. Th' Father keeps pressuring him to quit the club aka totally _disband _it!"

"Are you serious?!" Daedalus whined. "Keisuke-san can't disband it!"

"That's what I said." Fuko replied. "Though, it's kind of awkward, since the band... The band's slowly disbanding either way we look at it."

"Huh..?"

"Daira's in the hospital... Keisuke might quit... I'm leaving on the 27th, and Fuuka doesn't know how to play a guitar." Fuko was listing out all the worst case scenarios. "That leaves only you and Fuuka to play in the band. It would take a miracle for Daira to step back into play!"

"...If it's that hard to maintain, I'll keep up with the Music Club."

"D-Daedalus..." Fuko's voice trailed off on her.

"I may not be a Senior or anything, but I _am _a Junior." Daedalus remarked. "If all goes downhill, I'll take care of it during my next year at Gekkoukan or something."

"You'd really do that, Dae?" Fuko's eyes gleamed, as if she was really grateful for what she was doing. "Thank you, Daedalus! This would seriously make our school happy!"

…

Today was a day to go to Tartarus, but.. not for Daedalus anyways. Daedalus's equipment broke, and her arms would not be able to carry Shinjiro's axe. She told them she'd sit in the dorm while they went out training, but it was pretty dark and she was unable to see anything at that moment.

"Without my glove, I can't do anything with my power..." She whined. Though, it was true. Her glove had complete control over what her powers could do, and how they wouldn't go haywire.

"Control..." She was speaking to herself. The Dark Hour was annoying, because of the lights being shut off or something. She was always bumping into something at the dorm. When she walked outside, though, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath...

"Garula..?" She whispered, but as soon as she opened her eyes she found a little ball of green light in her hand. Before she could celebrate her success, it backfired on her.

"_Kya!" _It exploded in her hand. She flinched with the wind blowing straight into her face, noting not to try that again. However, she looked around the streets with the moon giving off the green glow like it usually did. She looked at a coffin that was by the dorm, and simply touched the smooth platform off of it. A red aura was glowing from it, like they normally do. She backed away when she saw a figure moving from it, though. Her eyes couldn't believe themselves when she saw Jin holding a bomb in his hand (as always), and had a face that you could tell he was pissed off about something. She froze in one position, soon her vocal chords slammed shut, and she didn't want to speak at all.

"You..." Jin began to walk up to her. "I knew it would be you at this hour..."

"Jin..." Daedalus winced when he felt her pick the small girl up by the blouse collar. "L-Leave me alone!"

"Traitor!" Jin looked straight into her eyes. "I knew we shouldn't have trusted you..."

"How could I have?!" She felt his hands getting close to her neck. "T-Takaya-san murdered him!"

He tossed her onto the ground and looked down at her. That bomb he had... could he kill her in one shot?

"I'll kill you swiftly, like anything else Revenge Request has!"

He tossed his first bomb, in which Daedalus had to catch and toss it into the sky before the Dorm was done for.

"Leave SEES out of this..." Her glare looked more like a pout. "T-They've got nothing to do with this!"

"They do." He got his next bomb ready, "For_ they _were the one who changed you! They're the ones who took you away from us!"

She was leading him away from the dorm now. She didn't want to get the dorm blown to bits, because that would've been the end for them either way!

She heard three explosions coming from behind her, and noticed that the bombs were too close from behind. She skidded to a halt, then looked back at him. He was already getting closer to her with his fist ready.

"Go away!" She hollered at him. "You're just going to get caught by SEES sooner or later! Why are you so worried about killing _me_?!"

"I can run away on my own..." Jin scowled. "You should know that by now!"

"Forget that noise!" Daedalus screamed, looking back at what seemed like Tartarus. "We caught Chidori! Don't make us catch you!"

"Yeah, right." Jin chuckled. "Why are you suddenly so worried about SEES anyways? I thought you were so scared to hurt them?"

"..." Daedalus looked at him. "Why are you bringing this up at this time?"

"Is it not true?" Jin grew a grin. "You only joined Takaya and I _because _of that _thing _in your body!"

"Shut up!" She cried out. "Do you think that's going to do anything to me now?! I rejoined SEES because they _wanted _me back. Do you not get that?!"

Jin blinked. He chuckled as he began to walk past Daedalus throwing something up in the air. Daedalus thought it was a bomb for a minute, but then noticed that there were pills laying in her hands.

_Suppressants?!_

"That's the last dose Takaya wanted to give you." He shook his head. "I hope you die before we get to you!"

He kicked her in the foot before he left.

And all Daedalus could do right there was stand in silence...

* * *

_**So, yeah. I ended the chapter abruptly if you couldn't tell, and I apologize for that. However, I do want to point out that if you couldn't understand Ch26-27, Daedalus lost her equipment when Takaya destroyed them while she was caught off guard.**_

_**Anyways, because Blackbullet will be slowing it's way down, I'll be starting off a new Story called "Yasogami Busters!"**_

_**I'm sure you can guess what Fanfiction Series THAT will start up in :3. That'll be posted up tomorrow morning in my time! Keep watch, mmk? **_

_**Daedalus Tavi (C) Me~**_

_**Persona 3 (C) ATLUS**_


	29. Into The Future

**Chapter 29 – Into the Future...**

The week was filled with difficulty for Daedalus. The fact that she couldn't fight or support in Tartarus was a pain, but when she told the team about Jin's confrontation with her, she was afraid he was going to strike again. She told herself that even if Strega were to attack her, she wasn't leaving SEES. Not again...

"It stinks being the only one who's not able to fight that well..." Daedalus sighed on Saturday morning. "I'm supposed to support you all in healing, but I'm not even going to be able to until I can get a replacement weapon. Man... If only my Persona didn't harm us..."

"What about a somewhat ranged weapon, like Ken-kun's?" Yukari had suggested, and Ken seemed to go along with it. "Doesn't have to be a spear..."

She shook her head. "I need something that'll also help with healing skills. Just offensive doesn't cut out for me."

"Melee then?" Junpei thought for a minute. "You were sorta melee when you had that glove. You could just be like Senpai."

One thing that Daedalus didn't want mentioned was Akihiko. She was still a little shaken from the words he had told her when she was in the school that day. She looked away from Junpei in sadness.

"Great job, Stupei!" Yukari smacked him atop of the head. "You _don't _mention that to her!"

"I-It's okay." She forced a smile on her face. "Although I was the one who brought it up... Maybe it's best to focus until midterms are over. There's only two days left before we actually have to take them."

"Even then, that cuts off most of our training." Minato replied. "The only two clubs I know of at the school that could help you would be the Kendo and Boxing, but..."

"Akihiko's in boxing, and Daedalus isn't good with swords..." Junpei groaned. "Man, picking weapons are so _difficult_!"

"I'm sorry..." Daedalus sighed, "I don't think Akihiko will ever talk to me, though. So, I don't mind you talking about him."

Everyone went quiet in the room, and looked at Daedalus, who seemed to be more focused on Shinjiro's pocketwatch than anything else. She had finally decided to open it up, but saw something fly onto the table without her noticing.

It looked like a piece of a photo, with a kiddish Shinjiro somewhere in there. He didn't have a beanie, he just wore a regular undershirt and pants and had one of his arms leading somewhere.

...Somewhere...

"Wait a minute." Daedalus picked it up and examined it a little more. "This is..!"

"What's wrong, Tavi?" Mitsuru tilted her head in confusion when she walked in. Though, Daedalus didn't answer, she instantly ran up into her room without even minding the fact that Akihiko was walking across from her. She rummaged through the stuff she had taken back until she found the picture hidden under her old Teddy Bear. She picked that up, too, and soon connected the picture without any tape to see if it fit first. It certainly did.

Shinjiro was standing behind them with a barely noticeable smirk, and a hand on her shoulder. Everyone crowded around her room, but she never decided to turn around.

"What's up, Dae-chan?" Junpei scratched his head. "You hit the jackpot or somethin'?"

"You could say that..." She had a warm smile form on her face as she turned to them. Her bear was in her arms, but she held the two pieces of the photo together. "I found it... This was the picture I was missing of him! It was in the pocketwatch he gave me!"

Her eyes were closed with a huge grin surrounding her from ear to ear. She felt like all her troubles were gone from her tiny little mind.

"_...What's going on?" _Akihiko was walking behind all of the team, and everyone just looked back at him with either a grin, or a face that seemed like they were expecting trouble to come.

Dae's eyes plopped open when she heard Akihiko's voice. She felt like wind blew past her face, as her bear dropped to the ground when her smile turned into a face of fear. The picture soon flew out of her hand, like she lost grip of everything dear to her. She was staring at Akihiko, and Akihiko was just glaring at her. Minato looked away, Yukari and Fuuka were backing up a bit, Mitsuru held her shoulder... Junpei looked at Koromaru, who looked at Aigis, who just stayed neutral at all of this happening, and so did Ken. She felt herself shaking, but she had to stand up for herself. Where did all that bravery go..?

"U-Um, Aigis?" Fuuka looked at the robotic female, "Let's go to the Mall."

"Understood." Aigis began to follow Fuuka downstairs.

"Senpai? Do you, uh.. Want to go hang out in the lounge?" Yukari pointed back with her thumb.

"Y-Yes..." Mitsuru tagged along without hesitation. Minato walked back to his room, and Junpei decided to go and visit it. Koromaru whined.

"Alright, Koro-chan," Ken tried to force a smile, "Let's go get you something to eat!"

All of SEES ran down the stairs before anything else could stop them, which left the two "ex-buddies" to look at each other without looking down.

"Hello, Tavi." She flinched at how his voice was. Never, _ever _had he called her by her last name.

"Sanada-senpai." Daedalus blinked. She was so close to calling him "Hiko-kun," yet so far...

She walked up to the door, wanting to slam it in his face, but at the same time... Her affection for him was stopping her dead in her tracks. Her hands were slowly clenching into fists, so she wouldn't bust the scabs off or anything causing the band-aids to become unwrapped. They were beginning to shake as well, all the stress was building into them.

"So.." He gave a serious nod. "It's been awhile."

"Since we last talked." She also gave an acknowledging movement. "Yes... It has been."

She was about to turn around, when she felt a cold hand touch her shoulders. Maybe wearing a dress that day wasn't a good idea. "K-Kh.."

"I wasn't done yet." He turned her around to face him, "I wasn't expecting you to come back to S.E.E.S so soon."

"..." She felt her fist clench even tighter.

"What's the matter?" He began to tease her a bit, "Not answering anything I say, now?"

"Leave me alone, Senpai..." She pushed his arm away from her shoulder, however he felt her grab a hold of her with both his hands. "L-Leave me alone!"

He turned her around and leaned down to whisper to her. _"Don't leave again.."_

Her eyes widened as she heard the words repeat in her head like a broken record. He began to walk off from where they were, but she couldn't help keep the blush away from her face. Yep. There was still a crush on him...

…

Later on, Daedalus had went out to the Mall with Junpei to have some time to hang out with each other before midterms. Junpei had taken her to the Arcade so she could experience playing mindless little games that he liked to play. She did have some fun, though. She kept a smile on her face during the whole time she would play against him in fighting games.

Junpei was wearing a solid blue shirt and a jacket to keep him warm since the breeze was kinda chilly for that day. He had also went to pick up some ice cream with her because he had enough money left to do so.

"Hey Dae-Dae," He recreated the goofy grin she hadn't seen in a long time. "You alright? Come on, you should be having fun right now! Get those worries from your head!"

"A-Ah." She nodded, eating the chocolate ice cream that was placed in a plastic cup. "I haven't had ice cream in forever..."

She looked down.

"What's up?" His face returned back to a slightly content, but slight concern. "Did something happen between you and Senpai?"

"It's not that!" She cried out to him, but then blushed a bit. "No.. I'm just worried that something will happen again. I mean, everything's going to happen, but... I feel like I've lost your trust."

She put the cup down and held it in both of her palms.

"Why do you guys even bother?" She looked back at him, "You could've just left me. I would've fended off just fine... Well, I could've hidden or maybe even ran out of Port Island's way."

"..." Junpei sighed. "Some of us just felt like a little part of our life was taken away from us. You're real good friends with us, and that shouldn't change any of your point of views on SEES in general. Did you really think we'd leave you?"

"...Yeah." She sighed. "I really didn't want to bring it up... but, it's been bothering me."

She hopped off at where they were sitting (by the wishing well, where else?)

"Well, I shouldn't think too deeply about the thought." She put a smile on her face. "Thanks for the ice cream, Junpei-san-"

"'-kun,'" He chuckled. "You can just call me Junpei-'kun.'"

"Okay, then... Junpei-kun!"

…

"Oh, your back." Minato was listening to some music on his MP3 player, but stopped it as soon as she came in. His blue eyes turned to Junpei. "If it's alright with you, we can go to Tartarus tonight."

"It's fine by me, but..." He looked at Daedalus.

"I'll come along anyways," She noticed the other members there. "I may not be able to battle, but I'll at least try my best to not get in the way."

"And we don't want Strega to come over here again." Yukari spat out that name to the ground. "I couldn't help but wonder what you were thinking when Jin attacked you."

"It was more of a threat..." She looked down, "I mean, they gave me another small bag of suppressants, so I know they're probably angry at me."

She looked back up at them with confidence in her heart. "But, I don't mind. I'll fight the way I wanna fight! There's nothing that can go wrong on our trip to Tartarus!"

She felt her neck where the choke hold that Jin placed on her the night before was, Fuuka flinched.

"P-Please don't scare us like that." She winced. "Mitsuru-senpai told us what would happen if you didn't take the suppressants."

"I-It's not like it's always happened, besides..." Daedalus continued to rub the spot. "Jin grabbed me this way and tossed me into the ground.."

"Tavi, that isn't a threat then." Mitsuru glared. "You need to be careful at the Dark Hour. Strega could easily come up from behind you and kill you before you'd notice."

"Sorry." She rubbed her arm. "But, the next Full Moon's not until at least another month. I have a feeling something's going to confront me and I have to fight on my own."

"We have enough time to get you back into shape." Akihiko barely showed a glance to her while eating some ramen and looking at the newspaper. "Quit worrying."

"..." She looked back down and thought about something. "Two more days until Mid-terms, huh?"

"I-I couldn't even remember...due to what happened." Yukari's head perked up. "Tomorrow's a holiday, too."

"Actually, Daedalus-san," Ken walked up to her as she sat down on the sofa. "We have a surprise for you. It may not be much, but we'll show it to you tonight at Tartarus."

"Huh?" She blinked. "Surprise..?"

"It's a gift from not just us, but Ikutsuki-san as well." Ken continued to explain to her. "We can't tell you, because then it wouldn't be a surprise."

"Even if there is only one Shadow left, we really want to give you something to help you fight with us til' the end!" Junpei gave a goofy grin.

"We also heard that you were going to sing in replacement of Fuko Taourze at Gekkoukan High School." Aigis' tone had no emotion to it, but that made everyone face Daedalus with blush on her face.

"W-Wha?! I didn't-I mean-!" She was frantically waving her hands in front of her. "It's just..! I-It's just a promise for a friend! Nothing too big or too small!"

"Hehe, we can't wait to hear you sing." Yukari grinned a bit, with Minato nodding in agreement.

* * *

_**I'm sorry for the long absence! Lately, School has been piling up on me, and with me getting SMT: Persona 4, I'm having to keep up with all my fanfiction. I mean, Links to Fantasy on DeviantART is overdue, since in 8 days it's going to be a month since I haven't put up a chapter!**_

_**I'm also working on this other one called "Otaku High School" based off my friends, and I haven't put much work into that one because I've always went braindead. Weird...**_

**_This was sort of a Semi-Filler/Semi-OMGWHATISIT?! moment, but that was when I was thinking up a new weapon for Daedalus. Now, it's not so much._**

**_So, thanks for reading so far!_**

**_Persona 3 (C) ATLUS_**

**_Daedalus & Daira Tavi (C) Me_**


	30. Controlling Freedom!

**Chapter 30 – Controlling Freedom!**

"You guys..." Her eyes widened when she saw what her newest weapon was in the team. It was shaped like a purse, and had "S.E.E.S." etched diagonally on the bag. Her angel wing necklace reacted a tiny bit to this, but maybe it was getting used to the power or so Daedalus thought. She regained her belt and some new Tarot Cards. She had blushed a bit when she looked down to her feet and shuffled.

"Y-You didn't have to..." She felt gratitude shine in her heart.

"Daedalus-san, you always say that, but in a way we always saw you smile." Ken chuckled. "Just think of it as a welcome back gift."

"Hey, hey," Junpei grinned, "Guess which one gave the idea of the bag in the first place? I found it funny."

"What? Who suggested it for me?" She stumbled on the last sentence. Then she looked around at all the guys. "U-Um..."

Koromaru barked.

"Koro-chan says, 'I would raise my hand up in the air, but I only have paws.'" Aigis translated for her. She started laughing softly under her breath. While she did this, though, she felt something be placed at the sides of her face, and directly on her ears. She then felt something fall into the bag and started looking through it automatically.

"What's this..?" She held out some sort of gem with something holding it together.

"Put it on your forehead." Minato told her. "And use one of your skills."

"Okay.." She was kind of hesitating, but she knew she could trust them in some way possible. Once she placed it on her head, she began to raise her hand up in the air. "G-Garula..."

She felt the gem begin to give a breeze across her face, and then blasted a large amount of air into the darkened atmosphere. Junpei applauded like an idiot and jumped for joy.

"Woo-hoo!" He yelped. "Nicely done, Dae-Dae!"

"I-I did it?" She looked at her hand. "It was just as if I was using magic with the glove!"

"It's still a prototype, though." Mitsuru informed. "Please be cautious with that weapon, as it could malfunction on you while we are training in Tartarus."

"I understand." She bowed in gratitude, "Thank you, everyone!"

"While it's going to be hard, I believe that you can put your past behind you, Daedalus." Akihiko gave her a serious nod now. "Thinking about the past too much will only weaken you. Physically, and Mentally."

"..." She barely gave a movement of her head to know that she listened. SEES stood silently as they watched another staring contest against the friends.

"Alright, alright." Yukari spoke. "Enough with the stupid staring! Didn't you guys forgive each other earlier today? Come on..."

"It's hard to face the people you betray..." Daedalus shook her head, "A-Anyways, let's go inside, okay?"

* * *

**~Tziah - Floor 145~**

"Take _this_!" Daedalus cried out at the Shadows that were surrounding her were destroyed with the last bit of energy she needed to use. The only problem that was there was the fact that she had been vulnerable from the back when the last one refused to die. Due to Shinjiro's Death, Minato suggested they would have gotten by going around the floors and training as hard as possible. Daedalus was able to learn Mind Charge, and obtain a little Wind Boost along with gaining Magarula and Mediarama. Daedalus pushed herself through Floor 140 (almost collapsing on her way there), but she didn't seem to care about it.

"Watch it!" Yukari shot an arrow at the Shadow before it tackled Daedalus to her doom. "Phew... Daedalus, are you okay?"

Daedalus stood up straight. "Yes. Thank you, Yukari-chan!"

"We need to be more careful..." Minato ran up to them with Akihiko. "Daedalus, are you sure you don't need to rest."

"What good am I going to do resting?" She panted. "We've already gone through twenty floors... I'll be alright, I promise you."

"Those Cyclopes are more dangerous than we've thought," Akihiko took note of this. "It's only lucky that Minato can switch Personas to get rid of them quickly with fire."

"_Mediarama!" _Daedalus healed all her teammates before walking by Minato's side. A few more Mighty Cyclopes appeared in front of the two.

"Won't they just ever give up?" She grit her teeth in frustration. "Magarula..!"

She lead them to attack her as she grew more exhausted by the minute. The gem on her forehead was beginning to flicker on and off as if it was giving some sort of signal.

"Dae-chan, be careful with how you use your skills." Minato explained, "If that thing goes off, your whole Skill Bank will shut down."

"Daedalus, take this!" She tossed some powder towards Daedalus, in which she caught it and gained some of her power back.

"Thanks!" She wasn't paying attention to being smacked down onto the floor by the spikes. "Gah!"

"Dae-" Minato was going to run up to her, but she somehow held a thumbs up at him as if she were saying 'Attack already!'

"Get back here." Akihiko summoned Caesar to use Ziodyne on the one that was crushing her back by pinning her down with the spikes.

"K-Kh!!" She was slightly sparked, but was able to get up after it got away from her. _"Die!!"_

She tossed Mudo at it, and it surprisingly hit the enemy causing it to fade back into black lights. She didn't appreciate it when she dodged an ice attack that hit Akihiko to knock him down.

"Senpai!!" She couldn't move from fear. That's when she felt a boost of power charging up on that one gem in the middle of her forehead. Her eyes closed as the gem began blinking again from the power used. "I... won't... let you... _die!!!_"

Her necklace and headpiece began blinking a dark purple, shining it's gleaming lights as her eyes flickered to a violet color as well. Her bag levitated from her hands, and opened up to have her take out a tarot card and place it over her left eye.

...Emperor.

"_Deadly Vine Whip!!!" _Suddenly, three vines perched from behind her and flickered wildly as they got ready to strike at any minute.

The vines were aiming toward Akihiko, or so they thought. Akihiko stared as the next attack of Mabufula was coming his direction. He wondered if this was how Shinjiro felt when he was shot by the bullet.

_*CLASH!*_

The ice broke into pieces as two of the vines cracked the skill out of his way. The third vine smacked the Shadow down onto the ground. Akihiko's eyes widened as he saw her using the vines again... The ones that had hurt Daira the most.

"Don't expect a requiem from me..." Daedalus clenched here palm into a fist, and destroyed it before anything else would've happened.

"There are no Shadows left," Fuuka came through to speak, "Thank goodness! Are you all alright?"

Daedalus returned to normal and fell on one knee after feeling the aftereffects of what she just did. Did she just... harness her power?

"Dae-chan!" Yukari ran up to her and got something out from their 'Tartarus Aid Kit.' "Are you okay?"

"Just...fatigued..." Daedalus responded as the crest holding the gem fell off her head, but Dae finally realized what was covering her ears. They looked like pointed headphones, except they were white like her, and didn't seem to give off something if the gem & crest weren't there.

"The strongest Shadow is on the next floor, but..." Fuuka seemed reluctant.

"Don't worry about me, Fuuka-san..." Daedalus struggled to stand back up. "I wanna fight on my own..."

"Daedalus, the gem even fell off because you pushed yourself too hard." Akihiko looked her straight in the eyes.

"Y-You're one to talk.." She chuckled. Blood was trickling down her lip from before. "You push yourself daily... but, you don't see me doing anything.."

Akihiko was left speechless as she got up on her own, picking up the crest as well. She wiped off the blood with the back of her hand, and then turned to everyone with a sad smile on her face.

"Hey.." She turned to Minato, "Leader.. Can I stay with you all and fight?"

"D-Dae-chan, you can't-" Yukari was stopped by Minato holding a hand out. "Minato-kun?!"

"If only you'll promise me one thing..." Minato told her. "If things get rough, you run out of there."

Daedalus slowly made her response with a thumbs up. That's when Minato threw her a can that seemed like some sort of drink.

"I got that from a friend." He told her. "Drink it. It should help you."

"T-Thanks." She opened up the can and began to sip it. She felt so much better, as if she never were running out of energy. "I'm still kind of tired, but this helped a lot. I can fight again."

* * *

**~Tziah – Floor 146~**

"These Shadows are tough ones, watch each other's backs!" Fuuka was analyzing the enemy the best to her ability. Hell Knights: These were much, _much _stronger than the ones they had attacked awhile back. Daedalus was somewhat ready to follow all of Minato's orders that she would be given.

"Dae-chan, Support! Yukari-chan, Support!" Minato commanded.

"Roger that!" They both said in unison. Yukari had her hand on the evoker, and her bow balanced in case she needed an arrow. Daedalus just watched with her bag open like a pot.

"Narcissus!" Minato called out a Persona that Daedalus had never seen before. It was attempting to charm all the knights that were in their way.

"Mind Charge!" Daedalus aimed it at Minato and gave him an instant boost in his mental power. She did the same to Akihiko as they began to dodge the knights' pointy spears. If they were going to make it through, they had to strengthen themselves in one way or another. Daedalus saw Yukari getting whacked, and had to heal her before anything worse came into play. Her face was trickling sweat after a few more attacks, but Minato was able to charm them all.

"Caesar!" He placed the gun to his head to call out the Persona. Daedalus came too close to getting blasted by Lightning once in awhile.

"Here!" She tossed some type of powder to Akihiko so he wouldn't run out of mental energy. Akihiko never thanked her, but she knew deep down that he wanted to. "Gah!"

She was knocked back by a lightning attack, and stayed down after she felt the sting run through her veins. Soon she was paralyzed as one of the recovered knights took the butt of their spear and mashed onto her back. She screeched as she swore she heard one of her bones crack. She tried to call out Diarama, but her bag was knocked out of her hands and tossed to the side.

"O-Ow..." She winced, and looked at Minato. "I can't...run..."

She tried to crawl out of the battle, but that knight wouldn't stop surrounding her. Her eyes widened at the thought that _she _was the one facing Death now.

...Until she realized that the other two were still charmed.

"I need to get out of here..." She winced, until she saw a brightly colored gem light up in front of her as if it was a miracle. She looked around, and was about to touch it when Minato screamed.

"Daedalus! This is a Trafuri Gem!" Minato informed her. "If you touch it, you'll be able to escape!"

"B-But, I..." Then she looked down. Curse her promises. "Thank you..."

Her pale palm reached for it the best she could, and soon she closed her eyes and touched it, hoping that nothing would get in her way.

* * *

**~Entrance~**

_"Tavi, can you stand?"_

Daedalus began to struggle to wake up as she found herself in front of the other members that were waiting downstairs. Her face was licked by Koromaru, and that made her realize she wasn't in a dream world.

"Where..." She remembered the gem being used to take her out of there. "Dang... I failed to protect them..."

"You did fine out there, Daedalus-san!" Ken smiled. "You were just injured, that's all."

"Ow..." She found a scratch on her shoulder and began to poke it. "Shadow Injury... I'll be f-Kh!!"

"Dae-chan!" Fuuka ran up to her. "Are you alright?!"

"That blow to the back... From the spear..." She shook a little. "Ergh..."

"Daedalus-chan!" Fuuka cried out as she saw her friend fall unconscious.

"It's alright.. She was tired from battle, anyways." Mitsuru rubbed her shoulder. "We'll... We'll take her to the hospital in the morning to get a checkup and hope it's nothing serious. Until then, we can only wait for the team to finish the battle."

* * *

_**First of all, I would like to thank EVERYONE who has read Blackbullet up to now. I've actually beaten my personal record of fanfiction chapters by hitting 30, and I wanted to create a Bonus Chapter (Chapter 30.5 - ???) before I continue on with the original story. I'm sorry it took so long, but I'm glad you all either added to your alerts or favorited it...**_

_**Anyways. I might as well just spoil myself. I mean, Persona 3 & 4 are one of the first games where I can spoil myself and continue to play it even then. And, I wouldn't want to leave Blackbullet hanging or anything while I work on Yasogami Busters!**_

_**I was thinking of making a sequel to this: "Blackbullet: FES/Project: D.A.E.D.A.L.U.S." However, I'm debating on how it would come out, so I might not make it at all.**_

**_Persona 3 (C) ATLUS_**

**_Daedalus Tavi (C) Me._**


	31. Purification: The Dying Black Forest?

**Chapter 31 – Purification: The Dying Black Forest?**

Daedalus woke up in what seemed like a murky swamp filled with deep clouds of fog. She rubbed her eyes to clear her vision again, and moved her head left and right to view this world she was in.

Black auras radiated around purple vines that curled themselves up in anticipation. They wrapped themselves around images of what seemed like Junpei or Minato. The sky was a grayish color, and a moon was illuminating it's bright light on top of her. The grass was all muddy; this was probably all from the water splashing on top of it.

...Black...

Her _black forest_?!

"No way..." Daedalus began to walk through the water. "This is... my mind, right?"

Her instinct helped her dodge an upcoming vine that was going to knock her back into the water. The smells were so real... especially since she felt really queasy at that moment.

"Where's Sesshou..?" She asked herself, getting back onto the land with her legs filled with dirty water, and walking through the tall grasses that were coming her way. She had realized that the pain she felt from the Shadows were instantly cured here. This was somewhere in her mind, she had to know that.

"_Long time no see, dumbass." _Sesshou walked up from behind her with gritted teeth. "Thanks to your stupid little 'bonds of friendship,' I'm stuck in here, having to blacken out the place so I can _live _here!!"

"W-What do you mean like that?" Daedalus got into a stance that signaled she was ready to fight. "What do you mean 'blacken out?'"

Sesshou got into the same stance as her. "I mean... Ever since you came back to that god forsaken group called S.E.E.S., my home has been slowly fading away into a freakin' paradise for people like _you_."

"_Home_?!" Daedalus stomped her foot out of fear and anger. "This is my _mind_! My mind is supposed to be peaceful! This isn't peaceful... This is a nightmare..."

The 'S' mark that had been on her shoulder for so long began to illuminate. She felt pain rush onto her skin as she tried to speak. The murky waters began to have large ripples form in between them. The vines that were calm and collected for once, had now begun to flicker wildly while pointing themselves at Dae. The expression on her face seemed fearful, but she had to step up for herself. When a vine began to jab her direction, she moved to the side to dodge it from attacking her. She began to feel light-headed as she fell onto her knees.

"..." Sesshou turned her back to her counterpart. "Seems like time is up..."

"Huh..?" Daedalus tilted her head.

"You went into the hospital again." Sesshou growled. "Checkups, stuff like that, but you fell asleep before."

"Ahaha..." She rubbed the back of her head nervously, thinking to herself about how she fell asleep so quickly.

"Whatever." Sesshou huffed. "I'll do whatever it takes to curse this forest again."

…

_"She seems fine now," _A voice said as she opened her groggy eyes to look at the clock on the wall. "Mister Sanada."

"Sa...na...da..?" She whispered, trying to refresh her memory. "H-Hiko-kun.."

"Well, Miss Tavi, it's good to see you awake." A male that looked like a teenager himself was sitting on a chair beside Akihiko... beside the bed. He had blonde hair, and wore rimless glasses that began to hang low on his face. Through the glasses, Daedalus could barely see his blue eyes, but otherwise he was in a black uniformed suit, matching with his personality. "Akihiko, is she a newbie like the others?"

"Well, not necessarily." He gave a low chuckle. "She came in back in the Summer, registered for Gekkoukan after Summer ended."

"Good to know." The boy smirked, "I'm Akagi Souhu. An.. old friend if you must know. Akihiko noted me through phone about your little incident."

"Hiko-kun did..?" She had a really surprised look, and Akihiko could tell. She just turned away and blushed. "W-What time is it..? I can't really see..."

"5:00AM." Akagi spoke. "You've only been asleep since the Dark Hour."

"Senpai... Did you guys make it out okay..?" Daedalus twiddled her thumbs, not showing her face to him anymore.

"Yeah." He said nothing else.

"That's good.." She whispered with her hands clutched to her heart. "A-Ah! Mid-Terms today! I gotta get re-"

The boy called Akagi placed her clothes with Shinjiro's watch onto the hospital bed. "Already there for you."

"Thank you..." She spoke. "I'll... be ready in a while, I just need to... gain consciousness again."

"Well, I'll be going now, Aki." Akagi gave a slight bow, "See you, Akihiko, Daedalus."

With that said, he turned his back to both of them, and exited the room. Akihiko had crossed his arms over his chest and sat there, while Daedalus looked down and touched Shinji's pocketwatch again. The atmosphere felt awkward, and Daedalus trembled a bit while she was silently sniffling. The only thing that did not signal that she was crying, were the tears that never came.

"I didn't mean to get that injured..." She spoke to herself. "Did I really push myself..? Did I act recklessly?"

"Stop." Akihiko spoke to her in an assertive voice. "I don't even want to see you like this right now."

"..!" Her face turned away from him as she clutched the blanket with her nails. She stopped sniffling after another few minutes, and then looked back at him with a straight face.

"Gah, Dae..." Akihiko scratched the back of his head, completely changing how he acted before. "I really don't want to act like this to you.. However, I just want you to get tougher, instead of thinking about what you've done."

"B-But!" She clutched it even more. "What I did was _wrong_! I push myself too hard, and before that I joined Strega, and it was _my _fault he was killed!"

"No it's not-"

"Yes, it _is_!" She pushed off everything to reveal herself in white hospital clothes, and some socks (though, her real intention was jumping off the bed). She made herself dizzy when she moved too fast. "Ergh... A-Anyways.. It _is _my fault! Shinji-kun would've been alive by the time-"

She remembered the letter that he had left her before his death became a part of her life, and then sat back down facing Akihiko. "I never even got to truly thank him..."

"I'm sure he didn't want a thank you." Akihiko smirked a bit, getting up to pat her on the head. "It'll all be over soon... All these Shadows? They'll be gone, and we can return to our normal life..."

"Really..?"

"The Chairman told us the theory that if we defeat all 12 Shadows, this will all come to an end." Akihiko gave a thumbs up. "The November Full Moon is all we need to finish this."

"..." She tried smiling, but it turned into a frown. "I have a question, though..."

"What is it?"

"Do you hate me..?"

Akihiko stood silent for a minute when she asked him that question. She continued to stare into his eyes, wanting a truthful answer. He sighed after a few minutes, slightly smiling.

"If I hated you, why would I come here in the first place?" His answer was indeed honest. Her eyes widened as a great smile began to appear on her face. She tried her best to leap onto Akihiko to give him the largest embrace she'd ever done. Akihiko brought her up into his arms tightly, giving her a meaningful hug.

"I'm so sorry..." She silently spoke. "Please let me make it up to you all!"

"Of course," Akihiko nodded. "Of course."

…

_** "Translate this sentence into the Japanese language: Can you tell me how to get to the train station?"**_

Daedalus was taking the midterms the same day she had got out of the hospital. She was still a little weak, and maybe a little dizzy, but she had no problem answering questions. Five days of testing...

She noticed Junpei would struggle at some points, looking down because she couldn't help him. She was confident on most of the English to Japanese sentences. However, a lot of the trouble she had were translating separate words. Though, this was the first part of the packet, so she shouldn't have a problem with other questions.

**October 17****th****, 2009: The exams were finished.**

"These exams tired me out..." Daedalus's head was pounding by the time the exams finished on her. She really couldn't take anymore learning in her head, but she was happy that she wasn't back in her old home again. Junpei chuckled when she he came by her to bring her a drink labeled "Cielo Mist."

"Thanks." She smiled back at him, opening the can the best to her ability. There were only 10 days left until the Concert, and she was going to have to sing sooner or later. Today didn't feel like a practice day, though...

Fuko could've played the Bass guitar, and Daira could've played Electric. Daedalus could've sang, while Fuuka played the electric piano. However, it was only her, Keisuke, and Fuuka now...

"So, Dae." Junpei hung out with her while everyone was packing. "What are you gonna do for today?"

"I don't know yet.." She replied, "I was going to go to practice, but I really don't feel like I'm in the mood today."

"Hah, I see." He helped her get her stuff from the shelves after getting up. "Say, why don't we hang out today? It's my treat on where you want to go."

"J-Junpei-kun?!" She completely spazzed. "You don't have to spend money!"

"Heh, I told you it was my treat." He ruffled the hair on her head. "Where do you wanna go?"

"Well, all I really need to do is keep hold of Lolita Gothix until November." Daedalus thought for a second. "Since Daira isn't in the store at all..."

"We can pick up some dinner on the way back, if you want."

"That would do, thanks." Daedalus slung her bag over her shoulder, giving a warm smile that she had not done in awhile.

"You seem pretty happy today." Junpei noticed her expression real quick.

"It's nothing." Her grin grew wider by the second. "Come on, let's get going."

…

"Thank you, come again!" Daedalus had sold another piece of merchandise from Daira's shop. The last item she had sold were one of the last of a type of shirt, it seemed like November was coming by fast. "Dang, who knew that Daira-san would have so much to work with..?"

"I'm sure she was really good with this kind of stuff." Junpei smiled, counting the money that was left in the register. "So this place is closing down in November?"

"Apparently." She replied, cleaning up the shop with the broom. "Paulownia Mall's going to replace this place with some other store. Kind of sad, actually..."

"..Say, Dae-Dae," Junpei had her turn around to face him. "What do you plan on doing when you grow up?"

"M-Me?" She looked down. _'Will I even be alive then..?' _"A-Ah, well... I planned on opening up a Bakery. I-I planned on baking with all the techniques that I was taught."

"Oh? I thought you would get into music."

"I was thinking about that, but..." She chuckled a bit before continuing to sweep. "I really think baking is the right choice of work for me."

"Hmm..." Junpei looked at the clock on the wall. "Oh, it's already time to leave."

"R-Really?!" She seemed kind of annoyed, but when she realized her necklace shining, she nodded. "Yeah... it's time to go."

_Social Link – Junpei Iori – Level 8._

_

* * *

_

**Sort of a Filler Chapter for all you readers out there, but it's better than nothing, right? :3**

**So, Akihiko & Daedalus are getting back to good terms. Not only that, but Daedalus is completely learning how to get over a death of a loved one. Can Dae really make it through and finish up what the Dark Hour started?**

**Persona 3 (C) ATLUS**

**Daedalus Tavi, Dark Daedalus, and Daira Tavi (C) Me~**


	32. One Step Closer!

**Chapter 32 – One Step Closer**

The next day, Daedalus got dressed and fixed herself up before going out to tend Daira's store. Daedalus was dressed much differently than she would usually dress: A shirt with a sleeve sliding down on her arm, some jeans even though she normally wore dresses.. For some reason, Daedalus felt like she was confident enough to do what she wanted to do. In November... November 10th was it? She had obtained the date later that day when she and Junpei were walking home. She found herself humming, and packed up her bag before heading out her door.

"Oh, Daedalus-san." Ken blinked when he bumped into her. "Good Morning."

"Good morning, Ken-kun!" She smiled a bit. "Are you okay?"

"Huh? Yeah." He nodded, "I'm just working on some homework this weekend, that's all.."

"Oh, I see." She nodded, "Do you need any help?"

"N-No, it's okay.." He seemed reluctant to answer. "What're you doing this weekend?"

"I'll be tending to my cousin's shop." She continued, "I think Yukari-san said she'd help me today, too."

"That sounds nice." Ken faked a smile. "I hope you will be able to get through everything Daedalus-san..."

"Yeah... Same to you, Ken-kun." She nodded, feeling a little sad for the boy. However, she continued to walk out the door without a problem.

…

"Hmm..." Daedalus barely entered the store and was already down on her knees to scrub the floor. She still needed to clean the place even if it was going down next month. "By the time I finish cleaning this store up, it'll already be the afternoon..."

_*knock, knock*_

"Huh?" She didn't realize she had left the hanging sign on the door to where it said "closed." Without hesitation, she got up and opened the door only to find the boy that she met in the hospital the other day. He was wearing a regular black tee and some jeans, along with some regular tennis shoes. "Y-Yes?"

"Oh? Do you own this store?" He asked her, chuckling as he stood in front of her. "I wasn't expecting a child like you to-"

"S-Sorry.." She shook my head, "This belongs to my cousin.. I'm just cleaning it up for her as it's closing down soon."

"I see.." He looked around and examined it, "May I come in?"

"..." Daedalus hesitated for a minute. However, she let him go in anyways. "Of course."

"Hehe, why so nervous?" He ruffled her hair once he came in. "You look like you're doing a good job."

"Thank you, um-"

"I'm older than your Senpai." He spoke out. "It's Agaki. Agaki Souhu, if you forgot."

"Senpai.." Dae looked back up at him. "I thought your name was- Never mind. What're you doing here anyways?"

"Aki wanted me to check up on you, silly." He sat on one of the nearby chairs in the store, "So, I heard you're one of the newest members in SEES."

"Yeah.." I spoke back to him. "Though, it's nothing I'm super proud about right now. I barely came back because of _his _death."

"What? Shinji's?" Dae winced when she heard the name used. "I heard... I never knew you three were like a circle of friends or something."

"Hah, they were like my parents." Dae spoke out. "I've decided that I don't want to just avenge him, but I really want that memory back that was erased from my mind... I wanna know how something happened in my life..."

"Why do you want to avenge him?" Agaki sounded curious.

"..I'm part of the reason he died." Daedalus tried not to sound gloomy or melancholy. "And, Ken wants to move on like I do... So, we're going to try our best to stop Strega from trying to put an end to us destroying the Shadows!"

"Haha, that's good to know." He laid back, looking up at the wall. "I'm going to be moving into the dorm for awhile, so if you need help just call me up."

"It's nice to know there are still some SEES members out there!" Daedalus laughed a bit, sounding like a little eight year old. "I just need to finish this up, sign some papers, and maybe we can hang out for today?"

"Sounds good to me." He grinned, giving a thumbs up at her.

…

Within minutes, Daedalus and Agaki had already walked out of the store together once Dae had finished cleaning up the rest of the place. They were walking around the mall together, talking about their likes and dislikes, and many even sneaking some things in when it came to SEES. At one point, they walked out of the Mall and began to walk around Port Island.

"So, do you know what you're going to do after all this?" Agaki had asked her, wanting to know.

"After all of what?" She sounded puzzled.

"You know.. fighting all the Shadows." Agaki chuckled. "After you finish all the Shadows, you won't really have anywhere to go right?"

"That's true..." Daedalus spoke out, looking down on the ground. "I-I'm sure something will be done with me! Probably put in a new home, or probably living with one of the dorm members!" In truth, though Daedalus didn't know what she was going to do. She had only arrived into Tatsumi during the summer, with no memory of how she murdered her parents or if she even did.. Not only that, but her house was burnt down! She really did have no where to turn to.

"Oh yeah..." A thought came into her head as she looked back to Agaki. "How do you know Hiko-kun, anyways?"

"Hehe, I was going to ask you the same thing." He grinned, scratching the back of his head. "Well, I'll tell you one thing. I was basically one of the first original SEES members."

"Huh?" Dae's eyes widened, "But, the only ones I knew of were Mitsuru-senpai-"

"Shinji, and Aki right?" He chuckled, "I moved out of here after awhile to finish school.. Let's just say something happened, so I wasn't able to stay here for long."

"I see.." She smiled a little. "Hiko-kun and Shinji-kun both saved my life when I was younger. Then, they had to leave where I lived at. Next thing I know, I ended up here somehow and joined SEES after I found out my home was gone."

"..I'm sorry to hear that..." His eyes averted to the ground, as Dae merely chuckled.

"It wasn't your fault." She grinned, "I've had some problems with SEES after moving here, but otherwise I guess you could say Port Island was the best home I've ever had. I have more freedom than I ever did back in Osaka."

"Oh, you lived in Osaka?" He tilted his head.

"Yup. I was born and raised there." Dae stopped walking after a minute, and looked back into the sky. "..I can't say I really enjoyed living there, though..."

"Huh." Agaki looked at Dae with a confused expression over his face, but he didn't want to bother her about it. "Hey. Let's go hang out at the arcade..."

…

A few days later, Daedalus was already panicking on how nervous she was because of the date. There were only four more days until the actual little performance was going to be played in front of all the Gekkoukan High Students! She was already in the practice room, getting everyone prepared to play the instrumental of the actual song. Daedalus wasn't good at the screaming parts of the songs, so they had to tweak it a bit for her to actually be able to sing it. In fact, that wasn't the only thing they had to tweak. Indeed, Keisuke could play an instrument, but he had to move instruments tons of times. Fuuka had to play most of the actual song on the keyboard, and Keisuke at one point decided to just stick with the guitar for now. Indeed, it was difficult to keep up with the actual parts. Daira's hospitalization tossed out their bass player, and Fuko wasn't participating because she needed to move everything so they could get out of Port Island for that year. Dae was only practicing on flute, so it completely eliminated her from playing an instrument.

"My fingers are tired..." Fuuka spoke after an hour of playing. "I think that's enough practice for today.."

"Yeah.. I think my voice is cracked." Dae rubbed the skin covering her throat. "I think we all did good, though. It's much better than when we first started!"

"So what should we do?" Keisuke fixed his glasses. "There's only four more days until the actual concert."

"Well.." Daedalus scratched her cheek for a bit. "Keisuke-san, you can just stay on the guitars. I think we have a good chance of not messing up. I mean, Fuuka-san's really quick on keyboard!"

"W-Well, you don't have to compliment me like that, Dae-chan!" She had blush filling up at the edge of her cheeks. "However.. There's a problem we kinda have with this performance?"

"What's that, Fuuka?" Daedalus was the one tilting her head now.

"What if our instruments screw up..?" She was worried sick, "My keyboard has already started to give out at the last minute, and Keisuke needs new guitar strings half of the time!"

"Really..?" Dae winced, looking down. "..W-Well, I have another song in my head!"

"Huh? Really?" Keisuke seemed confused.

"I've sung this quite a few times when I'm alone." She chuckled, "Though, I'll sing that song if we have an emergency! This song will always be my secret song... unless something happens of course."

"Wow, Daedalus-chan. I wasn't expecting something like that out of you!" Fuuka chuckled, "Well, I think Senpai's trying to get everyone from the dorm to come and watch too! ..Except, Koro-chan's a dog so..."

"Hahaha, of course he can't come!" She let out a small laugh, blush lightly covering her face. "Either way, it's kind of embarrassing. Having to play in front of people..."

"Let's just stop for today." Fuuka spoke, putting up her keyboard. "We can fix up our instruments tomorrow. That way, in the next few days, there will be nothing to worry about!"

Daedalus walked over to the microphone, unplugging it from the socket. "The microphone's blowing out as well, we might have to borrow another one from the actual school."

"We'll just have to wait and see what happens.." Fuuka sighed. "Daedalus-chan, if you don't mind. "Can you come with me tomorrow after practice to get some new equipment and such for the music?"

"Yeah." She nodded, giving a small thumbs up. "We'll walk towards the room before school ends tomorrow and stuff."

"Alright, then! Let's pack up and get going!" Keisuke picked up the guitar, putting it neatly back into it's case after packing up all the small things that went with it. Daedalus took the microphone off it's stand, hanging it up and putting the actual stand at the edge of the room. Fuuka had some trouble carrying the keyboard into the closet, but she was able to get it in there without dropping it.

"_Oh? Is this how the band room looks now?_" Daedalus turned her head to find out it was Agaki walking into the room from down the hall. "Oh, Dae! I wasn't expecting to see you here!"

"Senpai, hello." Fuuka waved, "We just got done with practice. We have a concert in a few days, y'know."

"I see.." Agaki looked around the room, examining it in every detail. "Gekkoukan looks the same as always.."

"Senpai, you went to Gekkoukan?" Daedalus asked, walking up to him.

"Yup! I moved to Inaba for my senior year a few years after I came here, though." Agaki sighed, "It's all the same! Just with different students-Ow!"

"Huh? Are you okay?" Daedalus blinked, looking around to see if he was hurt in anyway.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He reassured her, rubbing his head. "Just a headache came up. It's nothing serious!"

"If you say so.." Dae looked at him, shaking her head. "So, you were just touring around here?"

"Yeah, I was trying to see if a lot of things changed."

"Oh, okay." Daedalus rubbed her arm with a nervous look. "What time is it, anyways..?"

"Well, it's already getting dark outside." Keisuke looked out the window, "It's best we all head home for tonight."

"That's true." Fuuka noted, looking back at Agaki. "Senpai, would you like to walk with us?"

"I'd be glad to!" He gave a grin, scratching the back of his head.

* * *

_**So Dae and the Band continue to practice their song, only to come up with conflicting problems. Not only that, but a little bit more about Agaki is revealed towards Dae. With only four days until she actually plays the song, can they overcome the problems and work through it.**_

_**Also, lol. Spelling mistake, I flipped some letters around.**_

_**Lovett-Undertaker forced me to post it :, but~ She did give some ideas, so It's all good. XD**_

_**Daedalus Tavi (C) Me~**_

_**Agaki Souhu (C) Lovett-Undertaker**_


	33. Stay By My Side

**Chapter 33 – Stay by My Side...**

Days have passed, and today was a very special day for Daedalus Tavi. Today, she would be singing on her own in front of many people on the stage after lunch. Yukari had walked into her room early in the morning to help with makeup, while Fuuka began to pick out outfits to see which one fit her. Dae had taken a shower at around 4AM, and therefore was in her towel while Yukari was brushing her hair (as well as using a towel) to drain the water out.

"I can't believe it Dae, you're going to be singing on stage today." Yukari grinned at her, continuing to fix up her hair. "How do you want your hair to be?"

"I think I'd just like it how I normally do," She responded, "Though, with it wet it's going to form waves. It might take a bit to deal with, Yukari-san.."

"Oh no worries, no worries!" Yukari took out a raspberry-colored bow from Dae's bed. "I brought a lot of things that sseem like they would look okay on you!" She took a bit of Dae's hair into her palm, beginning to wrap it in the ties.

"O-Ow..." She winced, "Not so hard, Yukari-san.."

"How's this outfit?" Fuuka picked out a small white tank top that had a spaghetti-strapped shirt to go over. She also had a black sleeveless shirt under it all, but it was securely protected by a belt. A brown skirt was also chosen, along with the underskirt normal skirts had that was white.

"I think it looks good!" Yukari smiled, pointing to the outfit for Dae to see. "What do you think?"

"Y-Yeah." Dae smiled lightly, watching them rush on everything. "I like it-_ow_!"

"Like it?" Yukari turned her to the mirror, noticing her face growing a bright colored pink. "Are you blushing?"

"I-It's too cute..." Dae chuckled lightly. "I-I don't know what to say.."

"I'm glad you like it, Daedalus-chan." Fuuka smiled to her. "Hm. I'll go to school early, today. I wanna check up the instruments one more time before we actually preform."

"I'll have to put on my uniform first, and then get into the actual school to change when it's time." Dae pondered a bit. "Fuuka-san, the performance doesn't start until after lunch right?"

"Right!" Fuuka nodded to her. "We still have a lot of time to get ready, so we don't have to worry about overworking ourselves!"

Yukari began to work on the next part of her hair to match the other one. "That bandage is gonna kinda clash with it, though.."

"Oh this one?" Dae held up her right shoulder, showing it to them. "I don't need to show off my Darker Half's scar. I think wearing the bandage will be just fine." She put her palms over her necklace. "And this necklace... I'd rather have it show off more."

"Okay, I'll go ahead then!" Fuuka bowed to them, beginning to run out of her room and get to the station in time before everyone else had left.

"You're doing well, Dae." Yukari grinned, finishing up the hair touch ups she had did. "I have to admit, I was kinda mad when you joined Strega.."

"Everyone was." Dae tilted her head. "They had a right to be..."

"But, you still pulled through even though you had hurt people." Yukari patted her on the back. "How could you push yourself through all that?"

"I wouldn't have." Dae looked down, tucking some of her hair back behind her ear. "Takaya had confronted Shinji-kun and Ken-san when I was with him this one night during the Dark Hour. After that, he aimed the gun towards them and... You get the rest."

"I see.." Yukari looked a little sad. "So, when you witnessed the murder.. You completely snapped out of it?"

"I just felt like it was all my fault, and that Strega was betraying me." She chuckled nervously. "Takaya was also trying to flirt with me.. What a sicko!"

"Hahaha." Yukari gave a light chuckle, helping her up to her feet. "Put your uniform on, but then call me over so we can get on the train together..."

"O-Okay!"

...

"Tavi-chan, we have a huge problem!" Keisuke ran up to her during Lunchtime with Fuuka, his heart racing from all the steps he had taken to reach her.

"What's going on, guys?" Daedalus asked them, as she tilted her head. "Is something wrong..?"

"Yamagishi-chan's electric piano somehow busted from some of it's keys!" Keisuke winced, "When we tried playing it, it sparked up and died out on us."

"As a school, we can't replace it until next month." Fuuka added. "We can't play the song Fuko-senpai wanted us to play!"

"This is definitely a problem.." Dae began to ponder a bit, thinking about what she could do to fix the problem. "We don't have an extra piano?"

"We do, but..." Keisuke scratched the back of it's head. "It only plays the drums and we need both piano and drums!"

"I don't wanna cancel off the performance.." Fuuka sighed, "It'd let down the people living at our dorm."

"People?" Keisuke looked at her.

"Our dormmates were going to come and watch us play our music." Dae tapped her foot a bit as she began to think even harder than before. "Fuko-san's leaving today, too. We have to play something for her!"

"But, what?"

Daedalus was no music expert, but considering she lived with Minato Arisato in the dorms, she could've at least gotten some ideas on what music to listen to. Not to mention, when she had the time, he would give her one of his headphones and listen to the music with her while they both did their separate things in their spare time.

Then again, Dae wasn't a leader herself. How was she going to be able to lead the group on their way towards musical victory? She was indeed the main singer of the group, but without Daira or Fuko actually playing she was doomed from the start! Though, she had promised her self to keep her hopes up for everything that would happen.. She _had _to try her best and get through, as she had promised her cousin this somewhere deep inside her heart.

"I have an idea.. but it's kinda obvious." Dae tapped her foot on the ground. "I do indeed know a song that doesn't use much Guitar... Do you have a tambourine, Fuuka-san?"

"In the room, y-yes.."

"Alright then.." Daedalus giggled a bit, signaling them to huddle up at one spot. "One more question..."

"Huh? What's that?" Keisuke looked at her.

"...You guys know a song called _Oblivious_?"

…

Lunch soon came to an end, having most of the students start scrambling over to the auditorium. S.E.E.S however, were some of the last people that had not left to go to the concert. Fuuka was setting up with Keisuke in the stage, and Daedalus was getting dressed up in the bathroom without getting her clothes soaked or anything. Junpei was with Yukari and Aigis as they continued to try to wake up Minato, and Mitsuru was doing her best to get transportation for Ken Amada. Akihiko was talking with Agaki until he noticed the group meeting up at one place.

"I'm guessing Dae practiced a lot to sing the song she was going to sing." Yukari started up a conversation once everyone was focused. "She's gonna need a lot of moral support if she wants to sing the best she can!"

"So, little Dae is going to be singing in front of hundreds of students." Agaki couldn't help but chuckle, "I can't help but feel sorry for the girl."

"Oh, come on." Junpei also flashed a cheesy grin. "She can't be _as _bad as some of the girls that have practiced singing here."

_"Everyone, hello."_ Ken Amada's voice arrived from the hall as they discussed the event that was going on. "Daedalus-san will be singing upstage?"

"That is correct." Aigis spoke up as they began to walk over to the auditorium, discussing what was up. "Fuuka-san and another student, will be playing the instrumentals to said song. However, they did not give information about what song they would play."

"Oh, are you Dae's friends?" Fuko walked up to them, with a saddened look. "I'm Fuko Taourze.. I was supposed to sing up there today, but I'll be leaving."

"Dude, that sucks!" Junpei's eyes widened, "Aren't you in band as well?"

"So was Daira.." She closed her eyes, turning her head to the floor. "Anyways, I'll be awaiting for your-"

The lights had shut off as everyone hustled to the seats to get ready to watch the performance. A female came out from behind the curtains, still turning around to go check on them to see if everyone was ready. It was pretty dark to see, and no one realized it was Fuuka coming out from behind until they heard her voice on the microphone.

"Um... Good afternoon, everyone." Fuuka gulped, fixing up the microphone. "We had some technical difficulties with the instruments... and, because of this, we had to change the original song.. We apologize."

Fuuko's eyes widened, biting her lip as she looked down and clutched the skirt out of sheer anger. Though, it couldn't be helped.. It wasn't their fault that the instruments were rundown. She had been there for her whole school year. When everyone began to applaud for some reason, Daedalus came outside of the curtains. No one could really make out who it was, even thinking about how short she is.

"Sucks they had to change the song at the last minute..." Yukari sighed, "I'm sure they'll be fine though, right?"

"Mhm." Fuuko looked to her. "Just fine..."

As soon as the music started, the chorus began to mumble something. Dae was mouthing the words in the beginning, and then let out a long yell that sounded like it came from an Opera. As she did this, Fuuka played the tambourine a bit to go with the beat and Keisuke strummed his guitar delicately. As the third one came on, the tempo was upbeat, but still caused the song to be soft and sleepy. The lights began to light up. Dae had her eyes closed as she let out the final opera yell.

"_**Truthfully, I knew I could fly in the sky...**_

_** When it came time to fly, I got scared and carelessly left the wind...**_" She opened her eyes, picking up the mic and beginning to walk in a line on the stage.

"**Oblivious**_**!**_

_** Where am I going?**_

_** The mirage I see is far away,**_

_** Someday, while scared,**_

_** Will reflect our... future.**_"

Every lyric didn't hit correctly at first, because she was indeed scared. However, she was able to go along with the song as she did so, continuing to look at the crowd to see if she could find her friends.

"_**There's no one to depend, when our hearts cuddle together,**_

_** Our true sorrow comes and spreads it's wings...**_" She felt Sesshou coming into play, her eyes changing into that colored purple that she always hated. However, she didn't seem to do any harm.

"D-Did anyone see that?" Agaki's eyes widened, whispering to SEES. "Did her eyes just change colors..?"

"Is her Darker Half acting up again?" Mitsuru asked Minato, who was carefully listening to her sing.

"No.." He shook his head, "Not from what I see... We should stay calm until something happens." He looked back to them, and nodded. Then turned his head back to the stage once the song seemed to calm down a bit. Daedalus had turned their back to the crowd, fully aware that her eyes were still glowing purple.

"_**Someday, together with you...**_

_** Together with the night, the morning, the afternoon, the stars, the dreams...**_" She turned around slightly with every word, her eyes turning back to their normal brown.

"_**The summer, winter.. time... wind..,**_

_** Water, the earth, and the sky..**_

**We go further in the destiny...**"

Fuuka and Keisuke were doing their best to keep up with the tempo of the song. Keisuke was doing a pretty good job with the guitar as she continued to repeat the lyrics on her own.

"..." She took a deep breath as she faced the crowd once again, clutching the microphone tightly between her hands. She closed her eyes, as they opened once she began to sing again. "**Oblivious!**

_**Stay with me, okay?**_

_** A quiet love is starting!**_

_** Someday, as it trembles,**_

_** It will lead us towards the future..!**_" She stomped her foot as she sang the last few lines. "**Oblivious!**

_**Where are we going?**_

_** With such a beautiful voice..**_

_** Sing our very own future..!**_" She tried her best not to slip up on the romanized lyrics she remembered from the song. And even though her voice was soft and innocent, she still was able to sing such a powerful song with her heart set to it! Her eyes turned back to a brown color, as she fell onto her knees with sweat trickling down her forehead. The crowd sustained silence at first...

*clap*... *clap*

Daedalus turned to find Fuuko standing up, applauding her and the band on a job well done. Sooner or later, Ken began to stand up and clap, and then Agaki. The more people that stood up, the more that began to clap and do the same thing. Everyone soon began to cheer and clap.. except Aigis, who wasn't used to all of this.

"W-We did it..!" Daedalus chuckled a bit, getting up onto her feet and fixing up the outfit that Fuuka and Yukari had both assisted her with. "Guys, we did it!"

"No.." Keisuke walked up to her and patted her on the head. "_You _did it."

"Even in a situation like this, Daedalus-chan! You were able to overcome it without stressing yourself, and singing the best way you can!" Fuuka grinned, "Come on, let's get you out of that and get you back to class.."

* * *

**_I promised myself I wouldn't do one of these chapters.. and in the end I did because my brain died from lack of thoughts! Though, Kalafina's "Oblivious" reminded me of Kara no Kyokai, and that was one of the endings that I truly loved. So, I decided to use it. Sorry for the wait!_**

**_Persona 3 (C) ATLUS_**

**Daedalus & Daira Tavi (C) Me**

**Agaki Souhu (C) Lovett-Undertaker**

**Fuko Taourze (C) A Friend ~.~;;**


	34. Discharge

**Chapter 34 – Discharge**

After School came, and only a few guys managed to crowd around Daedalus as she walked out of her classroom. She knew how Akihiko felt now whenever he had tons of fan-girls toppling over him. It was quite annoying, but this time many of the guys continuously flirted with her as she walked down the hall. And these guys were what, First years?

"This is why I didn't wanna sing..." She sighed as she caught up with Fuuka as they continued to walk down the hall together. Fuuka giggled, walking with her schoolbag. "H-Hey, it's not funny!"

"But, you know?" Fuuka tilted her head. "I wasn't expecting many of the guys to come up and ask you out or anything. Do you even know 'em?"

"Nope, but it was a hassle." She chuckled, light blush appearing on her face. "It's just like when I first got into Gekkoukan High. Many of the guys thought I was dating Hiko-kun!"

"What about now?"

"They keep asking if I 'broke the relationship.' It's really troublesome, since you guys know we've been best friends and all... Plus, he only took me out to eat to exchange some talks with me." Dae paused, shaking her head madly. "Rah~ I really _do _have a crush on him. I never talked about him that much!"

"I feel sorry for you, Daedalus-chan." Fuuka smiled to her, looking back up at the wall as they continued to walk. "You know.. the thirteen Shadow theory..."

"Thirteen Shadow theory..?"

"Oh! If we defeat the thirteenth arcana type in this last battle, the Dark Hour should disappear!" Fuuka explained, giving all the details to the fourteen-year-old. "After that, we can return to our normal lives."

"Seriously?" Dae's eyes widened. She was really relieved to hear that from Fuuka. To get rid of Sesshou with a final blow to the tower... She could finally live as a young teenage girl. "That's a relief.. I don't want to fight anymore battles that I could die in.. or lose a friend in..."

Though, something was indeed bothering her. She did want the Dark Hour and Sesshou to go away and never come back in front of her, but.. would she lose all the friends she had made inside the dorm? If she did lose Sesshou for good, would she remember everything? Would she remember how her parents died..? Indeed by Sesshou's clutches, but... How'd Sesshou _do_ it?

And where would she live? She specifically transferred to the dorm after disappearing from her home: Osaka, Japan. She couldn't go back and live on her own, right? Not only that.. but how would it feel growing up without a mother or a father? And with Daira in the hospital...

"Um.. Daedalus-chan?" Fuuka waved her hand in front of her, a concerned look shot straight onto her face. "Are you going to be okay..?"

"Huh?" Dae's eyes widened as she looked around from the space out. "O-Oh.. yeah, everything's going to be alright.."

"You seemed pretty distant.." Fuuka answered back. "Is something bothering you..?"

"O-Oh, no.." Dae stopped walking after walking a few feet ahead of Fuuka, and turned her head. "U-Um.. Fuuka-san?"

"What's up?"

"Can you.. go back to the dorm without me?" Daedalus looked back at her. "You've already bid farewell to Fuko, right? I... have to talk to her. Since this is a promise I made to her."

"...Right." Fuuka nodded, grinning back to Dae as she patted her back. "I'm sure Fuko isn't mad because you didn't sing the song you were supposed to sing." With that said, she walked away from Dae and began to head home. As if on cue, Fuko was up ahead. She was leaning with her back and guitar on the wall, and as soon as she saw Dae she gave a small wave.

…

"So.." Daedalus looked down as they walked over to the Train Station. It was already crowding with a bunch of people, so Fuko could easily blend in with the crowd. She held her suitcases in both of her hands, and Daedalus was helping to carry her instrument up to the train station. The walk was quiet the whole way down.

"U-Um.. Fuko, about the son-"

"Don't worry." She patted Dae's head, giving a sad smile. "You still kept your promise.. You sang for_ me_. Now that I'm leaving, I can finally leave in peace and not have to worry about feeling like I'm burdened."

"Fuko-san, where exactly are you going?" Dae questioned her, wanting to see if it was far away or not.

"Well.. I'll be going overseas." She could feel the tears falling down her cheeks as she rubbed them away. "I have a dream to go to school in America, and when I do I wanna get a career in being a teacher. A lot of my friends say I'm pretty good at English, so..."

"Really?" Dae looked envious. "I've always wanted to go to America!"

"..Hey Dae?" Fuko slightly blew her off. "Um.. Take this." She then pulled Daedalus's wrist gently, opening up the palm of her hand as she placed something within it. When Dae took her hand back, she realized there was a small handmade guitar on a keychain. Daedalus looked back at her with a small hint of regret.

"This..."

"This is to symbol our friendship." She smiled, "Look on the back of it."

"The.. back..?" Daedalus flipped it around, realizing a number that was close to a phone's appeared on it. "F-Fuko, you didn't-!"

"Just in case we want to keep in touch, text me alright?" She patted Dae's head, but slowly brought her into a small embrace before letting go. "It was fun talking with you for a short time... I wish we met sooner."

_'Thou art I.. and I art thou...'_

The scenery began to change again as everything around her turned gray. It had been quite some time that it had done this, and that her necklace began to glow as she saw another feather (and yet _another _Blackbullet speech) appear in front of her. When it attached to her necklace, she began to count the spaces on it. Only four left, but what would happen was a mystery to her. When the environment changed to it's original color, Fuko turned her back to her.

"...I hope we see each other again, alright?" She smiled back to her, holding her hand out in the air as a signal of goodbye.

…

Daira Tavi lay sleeping on the hospital bed as the pulse did not change on her. Her hair no longer covered her face (possibly from turning over in bed), and she wasn't in that much pain anymore. Daedalus visited her once in awhile, so it cheered her up to know that her little cousin was there for her.

Though, something was bothering her... She lied, saying that she didn't have a Persona. However, that wasn't the fact when she was with SEES. She couldn't summon it in front of them.. It would be kinda awkward... Especially with what she was capable of doing on her own. She had to lie to Daedalus to keep her safe.. but it was slowly hurting her the more she continued to do this. Her eyes slowly opened when she saw light flash into the room.

"Mm.." She used her arm to cover her eyes so they wouldn't be subjected to the light on her own. She slowly stood, lucky to not have the oxygen mask on anymore. "What the..?"

A female with a white-haired bobcut on her hair stepped out of the light in front of Daira. She wore a blue uniform that's dress seemed to have something similar to speakers. Her yellow eyes gleamed as she watched Daira with a smile.

"E-Elizabeth?" Daira sat up in bed, covering her stomach from the pain that had rose up the back of her spine. She laid back down in the bed, listening to the girl chuckle. "W-What are you..."

"Silly, silly Nikki." Elizabeth shook her head, sitting on the chair that was closest to the bed. "Don't you remember this is the human body that you were given..?"

"I know, I know.." She sighed, turning her head away from the girl. "I only did this to protect her..."

"Minato-sama seems.. _suspicious_ when it comes to you."

"Hahaha.." She laughed weakly. "They're fools... This human body isn't going to last long without a proper 'tune-up.'"

"Even though it is on the verge of breaking..?"

"...Liz, you're a fool..." She sat back up, looking at Elizabeth with a painful smile. "The time is nearing... I will not need this body anymore.."

"What do you mean by that..?"

"I mean.. the Blackbullet clan will be awakened.." She shook her head, her eyes flickered from the blue to a deep red. "That will be the day _she _will be defeated... I believe it is possible for a girl such as her."

"You could've defeated her a long time ago, Nikki.." Elizabeth's smirk turned to a frown. "You wield the potential of the Blackbullet Clan, too."

"If I try to attack,_ she _will clearly not hold back.." Daira spoke, closing her eyes. "She will go berserk, and that's the risk of losing my dear relative.. I don't want her to risk her life as much as she is now anymore.."

"Even Theo and Margaret disagree with what you're doing... Are you sure this is the right thing to do?"

Daira got off the bed, showing the baggy hospital clothes that she had been wearing for quite awhile now. She snapped her fingers, showing the Evoker.

"All Dae needs to do, is use _this _when the necklace is full." She waved it around in the air, making it disappear. "When she does, we know it's time for _her _to disappear from the fragile body."

"We know one thing for sure, Nikki." Elizabeth walked up to her, making a door appear beside the two. The door was marked with carvings, as if they were symbolizing something to the one who opened it.

"She _is getting stronger by the minute..._"

…

"_Dae, something's happened!_" It was evening at the dorm as Daedalus was learning how to cook for the team in the kitchen. She was making something easy, so hopefully everyone would enjoy it. After all, Shinjiro did teach her a bit on cooking.

"What's going on..? Yukari-chan..?" Dae looked back to her, as she was panting and gripping onto her schoolbag as if she were running back to the dorm. Yukari looked up to her.

"Your cousin.." She was catching her breath, and couldn't speak in complete sentences. "I went... to go check on her... they said she's.. discharged from the hospital!"

"D-Dis..charged..?" She dropped the bowl onto the counter with the spoon slowly falling to the ground. "S-She.. escape..d..?"

"They looked around, and called the police." Yukari shook her head. "They're on the search for her right now.. What went wrong?"

"S-She was in bad condition the last time I saw her, but.." Daedalus put her hand on her head, closing her eyes. "How could she.. How could she have escaped that easily without no one seeing?"

"Tavi, calm down." Mitsuru overheard their conversation as she came into the kitchen. "We'll have Yamagishi search the area in the Dark Hour tonight to see if she senses her. It'll be tough, considering that she hasn't summoned a Persona from what I know."

"Wait, so.." Yukari recalled her thoughts. "She couldn't summon a Persona, but she was in the Dark Hour? So.. she _might _have the potential?"

"One much different than ours.." Mitsuru closed her eyes with a smirk. "Like Arisato, who can summon multiple Personae to use in battle."

"Or like me." Daedalus put a hand on her chest, "I can't summon a Persona, mostly because of my Darker Half and all.. but, I'm still alive and can still breath in the Dark Hour. I kept having the feeling that Daira was hiding something, but I can't see why she would discharge."

"Alright." Mitsuru gave a serious nod. "We'll all meet up tonight in the Control Room. If Arisato wants to, then we will go to Tartarus to search. Otherwise, let's just stay calm and think about the situation before we make false accusations."

* * *

_**And the purpose of Daira Tavi begins to unfold by having her escape the hospital! What's with Daira's "Potential?" What's the connection with her and "Elizabeth?" Will Daedalus be able to find any clues about her? All that will be revealed in due time~**_

_**Daira & Daedalus Tavi (C) Me~**_

_**Agaki Souhu (C) Lovett-Undertaker**_

_**Persona 3 (C) ATLUS**_


	35. Preparing For The End?

**Chapter 35 – Preparing for the End?**

_October 27t__h__, 2009 ~ __**Dark Hour **_

SEES was realizing that the searching was not working, not one bit.. She was getting more worried about her cousin, and how she'll stay in a healthy condition. Agaki Souhu and Fuuka Yamagishi were _both _teaming up to start analyzing the whole area. Sadly, it wasn't coming out exactly as they planned.

Sesshou was getting in the way of the analyzation. And even then, when they bypassed her they couldn't find her throughout the whole area of Port Island. She could see the two getting pale on their faces, and walked up to them.

"It's okay... you can stop now."

"D-Dae-chan!" Agaki's eyes widened.

"We need our strength, right..? You guys are doing all you can, and there isn't so much use in worrying about her." She looked down and rubbed her arm. "Besides.. the final full moon may be coming, right?"

"..You're right." Minato was quite surprised to learn that she knew about that. "The final full moon will be on the fourth of November according to Senpai."

"We can wait for Daira until then!" She stood up for herself. "I know, we're all worried about her.. but, she's my cousin! She'll be able to take care of herself! Though, what I don't get is.. why did she discharge?"

"How _did _she even discharge anyways, Senpai?" Junpei looked to Mitsuru.

"The doctors say she might have escaped through the window, but there were no signs of the window being _open_." Mitsuru tried to piece info together. "As your cousin, Tavi, where would she go?"

"F-From what I remember, she liked being at the shrine a lot." Daedalus explained. "Though, she wasn't found there right?"

"I wish she was.." Agaki scratched the back of his neck. "Though! What if she's trying to get stronger herself?"

"Senpai, I don't think she'd go to Tartarus so quickly." Fuuka responded. "We could try asking around about her tomorrow. Didn't the Chairman say he had some kind of connection with her, too?"

"I-I think so..." Daedalus nodded slightly.

"I'll see what the Chairman says," Mitsuru nodded, "For tonight, let's just get some sleep."

…

_October 28__th__, 2009 ~ Thursday_

Daedalus knew besides Daira's disappearance from the actual team's eyes. She still had to attend Gekkoukan High School. Even though Mitsuru said she would look into it with the Chairman, she had the feeling that they might not be able to find out anything useful. What if she really did go into Tartarus?

Then again, the window wasn't open when she escaped. The front door might have been locked, too. She wondered if Daira had gotten out in a certain way that she could never escape a hospital in. But, even so...

"Yo, Dae!" Agaki broke her off her thoughts at lunchtime when he passed by her in the hallway. "Is this your classroom?"

"R-Right.." She nodded, "I'm a Junior. So, I'm in the same classroom as Aigis, Minato, Yukari, and Junpei-san."

"Really? You must be pretty smart for someone your age!" He patted her head, grinning widely. "O-Ow.."

"S-Senpai, are you okay?" Daedalus looked up at him with widened eyes.

Agaki rubbed his head. "Mhm, I'm fine." He chuckled, "Just a small headache once in awhile."

"If you say so..." She looked worried, but then a question popped up in her head. "Why are you in Gekkoukan High anyways? I thought you graduated from school already, considering Mitsuru-senpai calls you 'Senpai.'"

"Oh, I'm just visiting to get the Nostalgic feeling back at this school." He stood up and stretched, keeping a grin across his face. "Have you found anything about Daira?"

"I asked the Seniors who seemed to have known her in this school, but.." She shook her head. "I didn't get any useful information. They're spouting out rumors that she ran away and stuff... and I highly doubt she did."

"What is Daira like?" Agaki asked her, tilting his head. "They mentioned she was your Cousin..."

"Daira was more like a sister than a cousin." She began explaining how she felt about her. "She had a better life than I did.. and not only that, but she was able to own up to her own business. I envy her, because she's able to do what she wants to.. and I was always stuck living up my mother's expectations."

"Oh?"

"I never surpassed her at anything, despite being what she could call 'cute.'" She wouldn't stop talking about Daira; Daedalus almost sounded jealous for a second. "She surpasses me in everything, even appearance!"

"You are pretty short.." Agaki messed with her hair a bit, "Though, you must have passed her in being cute to a lot of people."

"E-Eh?" She blushed, shaking her head. "T-That's a lie!'"

"Then you doubt what I have said?" He pointed behind himself, Dae peeked and found about five guys staring at them. Her face was fully red from embarrassment.

"I-It's not that I doubt.. er, what I mean to say is-" She stopped herself before she screwed up, "Never mind..."

"What are you going to do after school?" Agaki tilted his head, as if he was wondering about her hobbies.

"Well.. I think I'm going to try getting more members into the Music Club." I pointed out. "At this rate, there are only three since Daira discharged. Fuuko also left the school, so that knocked out our fourth one..."

"I see..." Agaki nodded, pushing his glasses up. "Well, it can't be helped. What do you plan on doing after?"

"I might go and hang out with Yukari." Daedalus explained, "She said she had a surprise for me, but I don't have a clue on what the surprise is."

"Oh? Is that so?" He folded his arms across his chest. "Well, I'll be here for awhile, so feel free to hang out with me alright?"

"Oh, okay!" She smiled. "I'll keep that in mind!"

"Great!" He gave a large grin, beginning to walk off. "See you later!"

…

"Yukari-chan, where are you taking me today?" Daedalus had followed her off the school grounds with her bag strapped around her shoulder. The school day had already ended, so while everyone was walking home, Daedalus decided to go with Yukari for that day. Maybe, she'd even hang out with Agaki at the dorms. "Wild-Duck Burger?"

"Nope!" Yukari smirked, "Have you ever been to a Cinema, Dae-chan?"

"Ci...nema..?" She tilted her head in confusion, as if Yukari were talking in some foreign language. "What's a Cinema..?"

"You don't know what it is?" Yukari was surprised to hear that. "Well, it's not a problem. It's where you watch movies before they go on sale on DVDs."

"Oh! That makes more sense.." Daedalus blushed in embarrassment, rubbing the back of her head. "Though.. What's this all of a sudden, Yukari-san? Why are you talking about it at a time like this?"

"Aww, Dae-chan! You're so dense at this." Yukari couldn't help but laugh at her. "I'm taking you to Screen Shot! That's the Cinema we have here. And recently, they came out with a new movie! I got two tickets just for us to go together."

"R-Really?" Daedalus's jaw dropped, "B-But.. Even so, wasn't that a lot of money?"

"Nope! So, don't worry about it." Yukari began to nudge her as she walked ahead. "Come on, let's go see it together."

"A-Ah! Okay.." Daedalus nodded, as she followed Yukari with a small smile on her face. The movie they went to watch was about a female who wanted to prove her worth to everyone, and to become the "strongest" of all the land. Indeed, it was a comical movie, but it had some meaning to it for Daedalus to understand in herself.

Once in awhile, she looked back at the necklace that she wielded across her neck, as it would glow a dark power without hesitation. She would look back at the movie, and then the necklace... Was it trying to tell her something? Either way, she could've sworn she was just like this female in a way.. Trying to win everyone's trust and everyone's faith so she could become "the strongest" to help everyone out.

Though, wasn't that Akihiko's mistake? She pondered on Shinjiro's death some more, trying to recall what Akihiko did. He looked so surprised when Shinjiro died.. So could it have been that he was more focused on training than anything else? Daedalus wondered about this..

When the movie was over, Daedalus had walked outside with Yukari. Yukari had stretched, clutching her bag from school tightly in her hands. Surely, the movie was enjoyable.

"Man.. That really makes you think, huh?" Yukari didn't get an answer, "Dae-chan? Da-"

Her voice was stopped in her tracks as she saw Daedalus's eyes slightly watered. Daedalus looked away a little, her small hands wiping away the tears as she shook her head.

"H-Hey, Yukari..?" She stuttered on her words, looking back at Yukari after she was sure that the tears were all gone. "...Why are you my friend?"

"Why..?" Yukari thought about it for a second, before looking back at Daedalus. "I guess you could say we have similarities."

"Similarities..?"

"Hey, Dae-chan.." Yukari went around her question without a problem. "When you first awoke from the hospital... I want to know something. Fighting Shadows can be really troublesome, yet at the start you accepted. Why is that?"

"..I do not have any memory on how Sesshou killed my parents." She clutched the strap of her bag. "That was my only priority at the start... But, after Strega and Shinji-kun.. I knew that I had to do something besides find out about Sesshou. I had to help the team in any way I could." She clenched a fist, putting it over her heart. "I didn't want to feel useless anymore!"

"I didn't approve of you joining into the team at first, because your body made it look like you would seem a little weak." She shook her head, "But.. after looking at Ken-kun, I realized that even _you _could control your potential just like that."

"Um.." Daedalus whimpered a bit. "I wanted to apologize... for that one day in my room.

* * *

"_I... _hate_ myself..."_

"_I... hate myself for having this spirit.."_

"_And.. if I'm going down..."_

"Everyone's going down with me..!"

* * *

"I was so angry at myself.. I thought releasing her might have been a good idea." Daedalus shook her head. "I was reluctant to let her go... As, in my heart, I was afraid that I would hurt people."

"Dae-chan..."

"I thought you all would have tried to kill me by now." She sighed, trying to keep her voice at a steady pace. It was slightly trembling though. "No.. I promised myself I wouldn't cry. Though, I'm more afraid to summon Sesshou now than I was back then!"

"..Why's that?"

"What if she's grown stronger than before?" Daedalus looked at her hands. "If she has.. I can't summon her, I won't!" Daedalus just shook her head again. "I... I just want to have friends..."

It was then that Daedalus gasped a little as she felt Yukari bring her into a strong embrace. Daedalus flinched a little, in shock mostly that Yukari would still have the guts to embrace her like this.

"You're a strong girl, you know that..?" Yukari chuckled, moving one of her hands into her own bag, and taking out what looked like a Cell Phone. It was a silver color, and had a little cat on the cell phone strap that came with it. Daedalus had closed her eyes, completely dazed by the feelings of warmth swarming around. She had opened her eyes though, when she felt something in her hand.

"T-This is..-"

"Mitsuru-senpai suggested that I give it to you." She had placed the silver phone in her hands. "My number is already on there, and so is Senpai's. If you ever want to hang out, or if you have trouble give us a call!"

"R-Really?" Dae's eyes widened as she looked back at the phone. "Yukari-chan, I can have this?"

"Mhm."

"...T-Thank...you.." She looked back at the phone, hugging it tightly against her chest as she closed her eyes again. She felt her face grow warm. "I-I'll... cherish it."

"_?_"

Daedalus had her eyes once again snap open as she saw the scenery turn gray on her once more.

'_Thou art I.. and I art thou...'_

"A-A bond.." She held her phone up as her necklace began to grow.

_'Thou's bond with the Lovers Arcana has grown to it's full potential...'_

_ 'Despite the darkness hidden in their hearts, they still prevail..'_

_ 'The truth is near..'_

'_Truth..?_' Daedalus thought as she kicked her feet on the ground. '_The more they come up.. The more history Sesshou might have on herself..._'

When the light had faded, Yukari had waved to Daedalus as she had walked ahead.

"Come on, Dae-chan!" She began to run. "I'll beat you to the dorm!"

"Huh..?" She blinked, shaking her head as she looked at Yukari with a large smile planted across her face. "Hey, wait for me!"

* * *

_**And THAT is how Dae got her Cell Phone in the Persona 5 RP :T. -shot- But really, another Social Link maxed. Five so far, but just how many are left..?  
**__**Let's recap for a second.  
**__**Akihiko's Social Link was Maxed once she obtained the letter from Shinjiro.  
**__**Shinjiro's Social Link was Maxed when she was a spectator of the shooting.  
**__**Daira's Social Link was Maxed after reuniting up with her, and in return helping Daedalus recover some of her childhood.  
**__**Fuko's Social Link was Maxed after Daedalus sang with the Music Club.  
**__**and Now, Yukari's Social Link has been maxed because of Daedalus because of Yukari's words.**_

_**There are only three more left (according to the ones that were mentioned through the chapters): Junpei, Koromaru, and S.E.E.S. itself. What will happen once these three are completed..?**_

**_Persona 3 (C) ATLUS  
Daedalus & Daira Tavi (C) Me! _**


	36. Time For A Change

**Chapter 36 – Time For A Change...**

_November 1__st__, 2009 ~ Afternoon_

Daedalus was taking a small walk around the shrine with Koromaru, focusing at the ground as she had a hand clutching her shoulder tightly. Her friendship with Koromaru had risen some more, but it was pretty easy for him to get along as Fuuka had some dog food ready for him. She sat on the bench, looking up at the sky as Koromaru ran around the park on his own. She heaved a great sigh, rubbing her arm.

"So.. Apparently the Dark Hour disappears when we defeat that last Shadow, right?" She looked down, clutching her dress. "How.. nice.."

She picked up the end of her necklace, looking at it carefully as she sighed again.

"Sesshou.. I never knew who she truly was, and why she was in my body." She blinked, "So.. When we win, does that mean everything disappears? Will I.. forget everything that happened here?"

She felt the wind pick up as soon as she said that, holding her hair as some of it blew in her face. Her eyes were half-lidded, and she felt like whimpering from the thought of being alone.

"Then again.. Where will everyone go..?" She whispered, "Where will _I _go..?"

Koromaru ran up to her with the bone she had taken with them, looking as happy as the sun on a summer day. When he saw her face, though.. He immediately started whimpering.

"Koro-chan." She smiled at him, "Sorry.. I was thinking a lot right now.."

"_Wan~_" He tilted his head at her, with his ears folded back as he sat down.

"I was thinking about what will happen when I leave SEES for good.." She slumped down, "Like, when we finish defeating the Shadows and all."

"Wan!" Koromaru barked again, nuzzling her leg as he sat beside her.

"I bet you're probably telling me to 'have hope', huh?" She smiled some more, petting the dog's head. "Of course I will! R-Right..? Everyone's supported me for so long.."

_"Stay strong..." _

_"You'll... never lose..."_

Daedalus was reminiscing on what Dark Daedalus had done before, and how she would be filled with relief once everything would be over. Daira.. Daira was probably cheering her on, too. Wherevershe_ was_ anyways.

"Oh, what am I talking about?" She chuckled, "Come on, Koro-chan! Let's start heading back to the dorm." She noticed her necklace glow a little, smiling to herself. "I bet everything will return to normal after we finish off the Dark Hour for good!"

…

…

…

_November 1__st__, 2009 ~ __**Dark Hour**_

Daedalus, Junpei, and Yukari were taken up the stairs with Minato to Tartarus for the night. If she were to fight with them in the final full moon, she needed to train herself to her fullest potential. She had tried her best to learn skills that she could use, but they hadn't popped up until they got to the higher points of the tower. She was able to use Garudyne without hesitation, but she was fatigued from all the running.

"We're almost there, guys!" Minato was running ahead, "How are you all holding up?"

"I'll take my tiny legs as far as they can go, Leader!" Daedalus stretched out her legs as she followed the group around. They were taking on tiny shadows, clearing off the floor to move to the next block without having something holding them up or anything. Though, considering the fact that it was Tartarus, it was quite hard to actually do that.

"Hah, Dae-Dae's slowing down~" Junpei teased, passing her as he held his sword tightly in his two hands.

"Come on, Dae-chan!" Yukari held her bow in one hand, and took Dae's hand in the other. Dae then tripped up on her own feet, trying to run faster and increase her stamina for the final full moon for the last few days.

"Quit teasing, Junpei-kun~!" She grinned, noticing a Shadow in their way. "I got it~!"

She placed her hand in front, the glove and gem glowing a bright green. "_Garudyne!_"

The Shadow jumped back, as she felt the wind blow against her face. It had made it's normal sound, using Mudo on her as it crawled towards her direction. She held her glove (that, thanks to Mitsuru, was patched up and fixed again) up to it, knowing that she could block the skill really well.

"Take this!" Daedalus pointed her finger to it, "_Garudyne!_"

The blast of wind hit the Shadow directly, making it disperse and disappear into Tartarus' atmosphere. She fell to a knee, smirking a little.

"You okay, Dae-chan?" Yukari looked back to her.

"Yeah... I'm fine." She stood back up, panting. "I think I'm going to retire for the night."

"Eh?" Yukari blinked, "But, we're almost to the next floor!"

"I'm sorry." She smiled sadly, "I can't take anymore for tonight." She pointed to the gem on her forehead, it blinking as it was losing it's power. "Senpai. I'm coming down for tonight!"

"Understood." Agaki was the one who was speaking to Dae now. "The teleporter's to your right. Go ahead and exit through there, Dae-chan."

"Yeah." She nodded, waving goodbye to the others as she slowly walked back to the entrance. She touched it, reappearing on the bottom floor. "I'm back."

"Welcome back, Tavi." Mitsuru couldn't help but smirk at the small girl. "You did well for tonight."

"Eheh.. Thanks, Senpai." She rubbed her shoulder nervously, "Though, I couldn't have done it alone."

"Let's just wait until the others come down for tonight." Fuuka replied, "We can all take a good rest for tomorrow and the next day."

…

_November 2__nd__, 2010 ~ Morning_

Daedalus was still pretty worn out from last night, but she had to keep up the good work as long as she wanted to help support SEES on it's final stretch. She yawned during class, again helping Junpei with whatever he had trouble with, and eating alone when she was done with classes.

When the bell rang, she was one of the first few to stand up from her seats. She was busily packing up all her things in the bag, when all of a sudden she sensed Aigis from behind due to her shadow covering her.

"A-Aigis?"

"I see that you are slowly mending your relationship with Sanada-san." She nodded, "I comprehend that your feelings are coming back together?"

"Yes." She grinned at Aigis, her eyes closed as she turned around to face the android. "Did you.. need something?"

"I find it odd that when someone achieves Resolution, their Persona normally grows with them." She looked at Daedalus with a straight face. "But you, Daedalus-san, have yet to have your Persona grow."

"Maybe it's because it's a Shadow..?" She put her finger on her cheek, pondering in thought. "My Darker Half.. She doesn't seem like she's me after all. I don't have a split personality.. It just doesn't add up on how she acts."

"Doesn't a split personality normally form because of pain and suffering?"

"Yes, but.." Daedalus blinked, "It would've branched off from that.. Mine seems nothing like it." She looked down again, "There's a bunch of stuff about Sesshou that I don't know about.. I wanna find out before she disappears..!"

"I am sure we will find out in due time." Aigis bowed, "Please, do not strain yourself. I think Mitsuru-san is having a meeting tonight.."

"Oh? We are..?" She was puzzled for a bit, before bowing back to Aigis. "Understood. I'll be sure to be there tonight."

...Time Passed, and before Daedalus knew it..

_November 2__nd__, 2010 ~ Evening_

Daedalus and the others met up at the dorm. Even Agaki decided to tag along, seeing as he was a veteran of SEES himself. Everyone was quiet, but a somewhat gloomy atmosphere devoured the scene of the dorm itself. Daedalus sighed, petting Koromaru with Ken as Fuuka decided to strike up a conversation.

"Well.. Tomorrow's..." Fuuka bit her lip, "How else can I say it? Tomorrow's the final mission.."

"I can't believe I was so dense to not even think about when all this fighting would end.." Daedalus kicked her feet, looking at the group. "Now, isn't that odd..?"

Yukari smirked a little, "We've been at quite a lot for half a year now, huh..?"

"It was a lot better than a normal school life, don'tcha think?" Junpei butted in, "Besides, we've made some friends."

"I guess, so.." Ken sounded reluctant to respond.

"Two and a half years since I've gained this power." Akihiko shrugged, "I'm not complaining."

"That's true.. Same goes for Agaki-senpai, too. Right?"

"Well~" He grinned a little, scratching the back of his head. "I've had it for awhile, I'll say."

"And Aigis..."

"I was asleep for the time, so I have not been in operation for so long.."

"And, Dae-chan..?" Fuuko finally turned her head to her, which made the whole team turn to her.

"I awoke to it when I was around 8.. At least, that's what I think my age was." She shook her head, "I don't know the full details. Though, being in SEES.. has tamed it quite well. With and without suppressants."

"And tomorrow, she'll finally be gone right?" Junpei questioned her, having her nod with a look that said 'hopefully' on it. "Anyways.. Mitsuru-senpai. You started before Akihiko-san, right?"

"Me? ..Correct." She sighed, "SEES didn't exist back then, and it was just a regular dorm."

"Did the Chairman recruit you?" Yukari was curious to know more about her.

"No." She turned to Yukari, "I've been aware of it since I was little. The Research Team was attacked by Shadows.. and well.. I awakened my Persona when I witnessed the incident."

"Then.." Dae's eyes widened.

"I was the first one." Mitsuru gripped her arm tightly, biting her lip. "If that never happened.. You all would've had normal lives somehow."

".." Daedalus looked at her with sadness in her eyes. Not because she wanted to blame Mitsuru for having Sesshou appear out of nowhere and manipulate her, but to go through all that pain as a Kirijo. Her head sank lower.

"Well, it would've happened to anyone, anyways." Akihiko shrugged, "And, it's not like it could be ignored."

"That's true..." Mitsuru's response didn't sound truthful.

It was then that Dae's necklace began to glow a bright color again. It finally caught the team's attention, as they had never really seen Dae's necklace emit such an attracting light. Yukari stood up, walking over to Dae as she lifted up the necklace.

"This never came off your neck, right?" Yukari gave a sad smile, "Well, when all of this is over, you'll finally be able to have your own life back Dae-chan."

"Hopefully." Dae gave a slight notification of approval. "It's going to be kinda sad once this is all over..."

"Huh, what do you mean?" Agaki sat up, looking directly at Dae.

"_I'll have no where to return to..."_

_

* * *

_

**Aaaah! My god, I'm so sorry to all my readers of Blackbullet ;o;. You either removed it from your watch or something!**

**I know, I haven't updated in forever. I have all Pre-Ap classes in school, I was braindead, stuff happened... Etc etc.**

**Anyways, Chapter 36 is up. You finally see an opening in all these filler chapters! I hope you enjoy it, and sorry it's kinda short!**

**Also, Sorry for Grammar fail T_T;.**

**Persona Series (C) ATLUS**

**Daedalus Tavi and Dark Daedalus (C) Me~**


	37. Strega No More!

**Chapter 37 – Strega No More!**

_November 3__rd__, 2009 ~ After School_

The next day, Daedalus walked down the Shrine stairs with Koromaru at her side. She was restless, as she had not fallen asleep the night before because she was still thinking about her new home. She yawned once more, sitting at one of the lower steps once she found somewhere comfortable.

"Well, it's almost time.." She smiled up at the sun that was slowly lowering, patting the white dog on the top of it's head. "Koro-chan, we're going to fight the last Shadow tonight, right? I can't wait to use my full potential.."

He barked at her, nudging her leg a bit to get on top of it and lick her face. She chuckled.

"K-Koro-chan.." She kept her hand on his head, "I've only known you for a short time, but.. It'll be sad when I have to leave you all."

He whined once more, looking down at the ground as if he understood the sadness in her.

"No worries, though.. You'll probably go to a good home, right?"

Once again, he let out a nice bark and ran up and down the stairs in excitement. She laughed again, getting up from the stairs to walk back down to get to the dorm. She stopped after hitting the final step, looking back up at the sky.

"Daira-san.." She clenched her hand into a fist, her glare hardening. "I'll prove myself to you! I'll avenge what I have done to you by defeating Strega and getting rid of Sesshou."

…

_November 3__rd__, 2009 ~ Dark Hour_

Daedalus sat next to Junpei and Minato that night, touching the things that were placed on her ears. She didn't want to use the bag anymore; In fact, what _could _she do with it? She can just take out her Tarot Cards and toss them at the Shadow, and the purse would just whack them away. She was pretty sure the gem on her forehead, and the equipment on her ears would save her life.

Then again, it was like a pot that attacked the Shadows. Her powers were a little stronger, but she had to know when to control her stamina so she wouldn't pass out on any of her teammates during battle. She decided it would be best to stay with just the bag for now...

"_The Shadow.. I've located it on the Moonlight Bridge!_" Fuuko shook her out of the daydream, alerting everyone as quickly as she could. "_It's south, too..._"

"And..?" Mitsuru questioned her, trying to see if there was anymore information.

"_As expected, It's Strega..._"

"Bastards.." Ken muttered under their breath.

"They probably knew they wanted to face us off one more time before we eliminated this 12th Shadow.." Dae noted in a soft voice, "That must mean this will be the final time we see their faces!" Mitsuru couldn't help but smirk. "Let's come back safely.."

Dae walked in front of Ken, but was also behind Akihiko at the time. She kept the bag clutched tightly in their hands as they all walked across that bridge. They had passed a few cars, ones that had coffins inside, and ones that were just off and abandoned in general. She also noticed the spots of blood that they walked around, which made her shiver a bit. However, she couldn't wimp out now.. This was the final battle!

The group stopped walking, looking ahead to find the white-haired man and the bomber boy in front of them. Daedalus slipped out the Tarot cards from the bag, holding them between her fingers and glaring at them to the best of her ability.

"...You know the significance of today, do you not?" Takaya had only begun to speak, breaking the silence. "You fools claim to hunt all the Shadows that came in your way, yet you only bring disaster towards your lives.. Our powers were used for evil, can you not deny that?"

Everyone else kept quiet, listening to what he said..

"You are just mere children; If you just get rid of the Dark Hour, you get rid of yourself. It's as clear as day.."

"Forget this.." Jin sighed, "Takaya, forget them all."

"Only fate shall decide this battle.." Takaya pulled the gun from his pants, aiming at them. "..Come!"

Dae pulled her armband up, noticing Mitsuru and Minato run up towards them without waiting for any more signals. Jin pulled out a grenade, using his mouth to activate it before tossing it down onto the ground.

"Everyone, stand clear!" Ken warned them all, kicking the grenade out of the way. Daedalus also jumped to the side, rolling onto the ground, but having a fall back effect. She noticed Takaya aiming the gun at her face, taking one of her Tarot Cards to face her.

"_Persona Copy!_" Dae bellowed, her eyes flickering from purple to brown again after she noticed what Persona she caught on. '_Ah. Mitsuru-senpai's!_'

"Take this!" He fired the pistol-like gun, having Dae jump and dodge it from harming her. She had to stay safe for the sake of this mission, even if it seemed tough she couldn't give up then and now.

"_Garudyne!_" Dae opened the bag, letting out the blast of air charge at Takaya. Of course, it wasn't as strong as it was before considering she had copied Mitsuru's Persona. However, she had to grin and bear it!

"It ends _here_!" Jin summoned his Persona with the evoker, having it shine a red aura on him before grabbing a Grenade and tossing it at the members.

"I summon thee!" Mitsuru pulled out her own Evoker, aiming it to her head and summoning the swords "woman" to the best of her ability. Shards of ice came from the ground, destroying the bomb and aiming at Jin from then on.

Agaki came from behind, using a gun as well that shot at the enemies before him. Minato was switching Personae in and out through battle, making sure he wasn't exploited in weakness.

"Gah!" Takaya fell onto his knees, holding his arms in a crucifying state. Out came a body, with red wings that looked like they could be ripped off of the body. Dae was too astonished to look, and ended up being aimed at with a blast of Ziodyne.

"W-Wah!" She covered her face with her arms, making Penthesilea, -Mitsuru's Persona- appear on her side. The blast was too strong, and she ended up falling back and sliding onto the ground. Dae had begun to pant, and the little gem on her forehead was slowly changing colors. "I-I won't lose.."

"Give up, Daedalus." Takaya let out a smug smirk, walking over to her and aiming the gun at her face. The wind picked up again, and among the wind came Aigis pushing Takaya out of the way. Dae stood up again, only having one knee down and the other fully functional.

"Thank you, Aigis!" She then casted Diarama on herself, healing a bit before looking at the other members. Jin wasn't giving up with the bombs he was throwing. "Everyone!"

"Dae-chan, get out of the way!" Akihiko punched one of the bombs that were coming her direction, letting out Caeser from the sea of his soul.

"H-Hiko-kun.." The brown orbs widened, but then they shut tightly. The small hands she had clenched into fists, not to mention the necklace and gem began to glow on her. Within minutes, she opened her eyes again, the violet color returning back to her.

"Dae..." His voice trailed away.

"_I won't let you hurt them anymore.._" It seemed as if Dark Daedalus' voice was overlapping with hers.. In a fearful and determined sort of personality.

"So.." Takaya stopped to look back at the white-haired female. "_This _is the power of the beast that has awakened from your body.."

"_Don't screw around with me!_" The hands moved over her heart, feeling the ground rumble from beneath her. They were on a _bridge_ for goodness sakes, and she could already feel the vines rumbling from under the concrete! Was that power really strong enough to break through? "_Takaya, let's end this! I will show you my true power before my body goes to waste!_"

"Dae-Dae!" Junpei's voice could be heard from the echoing in the night. Daedalus could feel the rhythm that was pumping through her veins: Unclenching fists, clenching them. Her hatred was fueling up the vines, and all she could focus on was defeating the person who had murdered her childhood friend. She dropped her bag, skipping towards Takaya as if she were innocent from the start.

"What's this?" He took the gun, knowing full well that his stamina was becoming quite low. Jin noticed this as well.. They were already tired from just a few simple attacks?

Ken Amada began running towards the members of Strega, and the former member felt power disperse from her body once she pointed a finger at Jin.

"_Deadly.. _**Vine Whip!**" The palm of her hand was aiming directly at the bomber now, and the next thing they knew, the vines were moving through the ground to get to Jin.

"Oh no you don't!" He took out another grenade, pulling it out and tossing it at the vine. It was in vain, because as soon as he launched it the vine smacked him right into the ground. Daedalus couldn't stop herself from attacking the boy.

"_Fight hard, everyone! Daedalus is slowly, but surely weakening them!_" Fuuko's voice traveled to all the SEES members. Suddenly Hermes and Io came from behind, using the moves Garula and Blade of Fury respectively.

Agaki continued watching, taking his revolver and spinning what seemed like a roulette on it. He aimed it at his head. "_KOS-MOS!_"

And there came something from his own soul, noticing a female fly out in a bright light. Like Aigis, it looked human, but with blue and white armor covering it's whole body they knew it was a robot. The blue hair it had around her face flew in the wind as well. Electrical sparks blasted Strega, and with a combined attack from the vines they both had fallen in battle.

"Whoa..." Junpei watched the bright light appear in front of all of the members. His reaction lead to his jaw dropping.

Daedalus held her arm, falling onto her back as well with her eyes closing a bit. She wasn't down—It was too early due to Sesshou's spirit roaming, but she was fatigued from all the fighting she had done before. She had her brown eyes again, holding her head as she felt the power drain away. Was it over? Had she really supported them, and won?

"_Dammit!_" She could hear Jin swear, sitting up a little to see the other members. Next to her was Ken Amada, who looked at her with concern.

"I'm alright, Ken-"

"Is their power _that _different from ours?" Jin was clutching his stomach; The gray suitcase that he held in his hands slipping out. Takaya was on one knee, panting from exhaustion.

"What do you mean by _different_?" Mitsuru's eyes narrowed.

"Unlike you dolts, we have to _force _the Persona out." Jin's voice was breaking up; It was quite obvious that that blow had hit the members of Strega _hard_. "Didn't your _pal _tell you?"

"So you all are the ones who gave Shinji the pills; Not to mention, giving _Daedalus_ those!" Akihiko's tone changed all the while. It sounded more threatening, with a bit of quivering from anger piling up inside.

"You really _don't _know what will happen once the Dark Hour disappears, _do _you..?" Jin questioned them. "It won't matter for the norms, since they don't know about the power we all have. It'll just affect us.. and-"

"That's enough, Jin." Takaya stopped him from saying anymore, standing back onto his two feet. "Usually, we'd withdraw from a battle such as this.. But this won't happen tonight."

Daedalus stood up on her feet, the vision in her eyes quite blurred. However, she could see the gun that Takaya was holding, and it was aiming towards all of the members. She couldn't do anything.. She could only watch in horror!

"How ephemeral this body is.." He chuckled lowly, "It's just worthless without this power."

Daedalus sighed in relief, only to have her eyes widen again as he pointed the gun to his _own _head. She wanted to scream for him to cease, but wouldn't that count her as a traitor. She wanted everyone's trust back, but.. How could she get it at a time like this?

Jin held him back, holding the wrist and moving the gun away.

"Jin! What are you-"

"Don't be so reckless!" Jin scowled, but he reluctantly let go. "Sorry... But those are your own words.. Not mine."

"J-Jin.." Dae watched him, a sigh of relief touching her as he looked back to her saying something like: "Go ahead."

"You win this time.. Go do what you came for.." Her happiness was only for a short moment, as Jin and the others backed up onto the railing.

"S-Stop!" Junpei and Dae both cried out in unison. Whatever was happening now, was about to end all the happiness that was gathering up inside.

"I'd rather _die _then surrender to you all!" Jin continued, "Take a good look! This is how we both live!"

And they fell back, falling down off the moonlight bridge..

* * *

**_I got lazy on the fighting part, I apologize. But "OH MY GAWSH" I actually updated after.. 3 Months! I hope you enjoy this chapter, because now I'm working on all my stories at the same time. Not to mention, I'm writing 15mins per fanfic. Hopefully, I can get these done diligently!_**

**_Persona 3 (C) ATLUS_**

**_Agaki Souhu (C) Lovett-Undertaker_**

**_Daedalus Tavi & Dark Daedalus (C) Me~_**


	38. Is It All Over?

**Chapter 38 – Is It All Over?**

_November 3rd, 2009 ~ Dark Hour_

"T-They jumped!" Yukari exclaimed, her eyes with dilated pupils when she saw the red sea create ripples in the "water." Daedalus bit her lip, backing up a little and averting her eyes to the floor while clutching her hands tightly. Agaki had pushed her back a little, as if he was guarding her in some particular way.

"What the hell..? Are they _nuts_?" Junpei questioned to no one in particular. It was indeed shocking to see the members of Strega commit suicide so easily.

"They chose it for themselves, don't let it phase you." Akihiko looked to the side, muttering those words out with a hardened expression. He was still hurt from what happened to Shinjiro, so it wasn't too hard for him to take in the deaths of them.

"We can't focus on their sudden deaths," Mitsuru reminded everyone, her boots echoing on the floor when she looked at all the members through her eyes. She was also aware of the swift death, but she knew they had a Shadow waiting for them up front.

"..Yeah." Daedalus spoke softly, turning back toward the bridge.

..There it was..

The Shadow looked like a boat with strings attached to it like a puppet. Though, when they got closer to it, it seemed more like a monster on a kite along with three other people-like figures. A light blue aura surrounded the statues when they all ran into the battlefield. Fuuko was with Agaki in the back, analyzing what they could out of the Shadow.

"_Hanged Man; This is the final Shadow, but.. It seems to be out of range!_" Fuuko was under her Persona, those softened eyes closed when she held her hands together.

Kos-Mos was right beside Agaki, assisting in helping Fuuko with the details. He wondered how the Shadow was going to work this time; It had been awhile since he had actually seen a large Shadow fight before. He never stopped looking at the white haired girl..

"Daedalus, be careful." Yukari aimed her arrow at the statue that was standing there.

"I'm aware of that! I'll do my best not to fail you all!" Daedalus's gem illuminated another bright light, as she opened the bag. "Let's do this.. _Garudyne!_"

Suddenly wind blasted around the area. While it wasn't as strong as any other attacks, she knew she did some damage to the statues.

Minato noticed the Shadow in the air hovering, "Hm..?"

"_We've found how this Shadow works!_" Agaki's voice echoed, "_It seems that those Statues connect to it... If you knock down the statues, the Shadow should be able to stay down for attacking!_"

"A Flying Shadow, huh..? Ken took his spear and ran into battle, stabbing it into the floor and doing a spin kick to get rid of one of the Shadow Statues. It shouldn't be this easy.. They were knocked down and disappeared in an instant.

The Shadow rocked a little in the air, Mitsuru pointed out at one point.

"Be careful with your movements!" Yukari aimed her bow at yet another statue, and Koromaru ran in with his knife in his mouth.

Aigis was running in a strategic circle, the blue robotic eyes she had keeping their focus on the Shadow at bay. Her arms were now aimed at another Statue, letting bullets be released from what seemed like Machine Guns. The Statue once again dispersed, making the original Shadow rock around in the air.

"Go, Hiko-kun!" Daedalus grit her teeth when his name was screeched, tapping Dae on the hand before using her as a "checkpoint" to attack what seemed to be the last Statue.

It fell over with a Punch, leaving the Shadow to crash onto the bridge and leave dust onto it.

"Now, Dae-chan! Leave a mark on that thing!" Akihiko's look in the face changed; Was it as soft as it used to be when they were younger?

"Y-Yes!" Daedalus jumped in the air and took her bag, letting sparks appear on the edge of the bag so they can collaborate together to form a move. Her eyes changed to a purple color..

"_Zionga!_" She heard herself speak, noticing a spark of electricity aim at the Shadow's back. Surely that couldn't have killed it?

Of course, it didn't. The Shadow was still quite dazed though. This could be the team's chance to leave more marks on the Shadow.

"_Io, Garula!_" Yukari pointed the Evoker at her head, summoning the Persona to knock the blast of wind into the Shadow. It hit successfully, but when Akihiko ran up to the Shadow he automatically fell back from the big hit flying back.

That wasn't just it, though. The Shadow was easily enraged by the team hitting it from all sides. It leaped into the air and crashed back down; Akasha Arts—The skill that the team hated because of it's amazing power depending on the Shadow.

"Agh!" Daedalus rolled onto the floor by Ken, who had also dropped his spear from the attack. Koromaru, the little white dog, had his ears folded down when he noticed that the whole team was getting hit by one attack.

"_Kikuri-Hime!_" Minato Arisato was aware that his team was already weak enough from the battle with Strega. However, the black creature just knocked the wind out of _everyone_.

"T-Thank you, Minato.." Daedalus' eyes were quite confusing. Was she possessed? Was she her normal self? Her right one was violet, but her left one was brown—The damage was really seeping into her skin.

"Tavi, if it's too much for you, you can take the opportunity to run at any time." Mitsuru warned, sending out her own Persona as well.

"N-No way!" She got right back up onto her feet, still weakened from the last attack. "I-I told you guys, I would fight til' the end.. I won't let you guys die because I decided to run away from fighting.. I'll help you defeat it!" She opened her bag once more, "_Mediarama!_"

As if music waves bounced or the water did this whenever touched, the ground created some sort of ripple that had begun to heal all of the scenery and her teammates. Had Mediarama ever done this when it was used? She didn't know for sure, but she knew it supported her team the best to it's ability.

Due to the team stopping just for her, though.. That one cease fire cost them enough time to think up a plan and rid the world of this Shadow. He had already made the ground shake, and created more Statues in front of him again.

'_It's in the air again. Everyone, be careful!_' Agaki had already sensed the statues that appeared before the teammates. He was unsure if the whole team could continue fighting at this state.

"I'm getting kinda tired.." There was his answer; From Ken Amada of all people. Ken had fell to a knee and used his spear to give him support for standing up. The fatigue was unbearable. "Isn't there an easier way to get through this thing?"

"All we can do is continue attacking, and make sure it's fallen.." Mitsuru held her stomach, bending over a bit because of the wind that was taken out of her body. "If it keeps this up though.."

Just then, a golden hand began to fall from the sky at Amada himself, making him look back up in the air.

'_Ken-kun, careful! That attack is-!_'

"_Kala-Nemi!_" His voice echoed from the shrieking call for the Persona that to protect him. His Evoker had already fired from a quick reflex on putting it to his forehead. However, the firing made him drop the Evoker and roll onto the side with his Spear taken away from his gripping range. Kala-Nemi had indeed crushed the attack that was coming his way.

"Ken, are you alright?" Tavi's voice. The more this kept going on, the more they were at risk of dying. She limped over to the Evoker and the Spear, sliding them over to his side.

"I-I'm okay, Daedalus-san!" Getting right back up again, he summoned Kala-Nemi once more. "Do your stuff! _Ziodyne_!"

The Statue that he had aimed at was destroyed within a second. Akihiko also used an electric move, taking down the second to last. Junpei tightly gripped his sword, running towards the statue and stabbing it where the heart _could _have been.. If it had one.

"It's weak! The Shadow has finally become weak! Hell yeah~" Junpei grinned when he noticed the Shadow become somewhat Immobile. Just to be expected from a Shadow of the Hanged Man Arcana.

"Then.. With our remaining strength.." Yukari clutched her bow to the point where her palms looked like they were about to burst. All her power was put into this _one _battle..

Minato nodded, giving a deep breath:

"_Everyone: __**All-Out Attack!**_"

"_Kala-Nemi!_" Cried out Ken with his final breaths.

"_Orpheus!_" Minato.

"_Caesar!_" Akihiko.

"_Hermes_!" Junpei.

"_Bark_!" Koromaru, who was summoning Cerberus!

"_Palladion!_" Aigis with her own Persona,

"_Penthesilea!_" Summoned Mitsuru, pointing her Rapier at the Shadow.

"_Let the Dark Hour cease with the destruction of this Shadow!_" Daedalus's gem on her head turned bright green, signaling that she was using a Wind Move. Her eyes were now fully violet, dilated too to mark it off with a maniacal-looking smirk.

And then they were off! A firework parade of Persona-based attacks! A flood of memories appeared in Daedalus's mind when she realized what had happened before her..

_'You can see them..?'_

…

_'__I-I... had a wonderful time today... Thank you.'_

_…_

_'Don't cry, Dae-Dae...'_

_..._

'_Hiko-kun, Shinji-kun, everyone..._' She let out a blood-curdling scream with her Garu move, her inner self talking for the outer shell that had supported her for 14 years... '_Whether I burdened you, or whenever I cried.. You all were still there for me.._'

An explosion occurred: Dust did not hesitate to fly...

'_I thank you..._'

And there went the Shadow; The black aura that had surrounded it during the battle had disappeared. It was slowly fading away into the Dark Hour's night, the mask coming off as if it were melting. All of the members fell back in a proud stance, and Daedalus was on her knees after the whole attack. The same dust was clearing, and Agaki, along with Fuuka, walked over to the members whose faces were beaded with set. Daedalus was on her knees, moving her hair away from her face once the Shadow was gone.

"..Is it over..?" Junpei was the one to ask. Everyone had noticed the flat land that was before them.

Had they really done it? Was the Dark Hour gone?

"Operation Completed.." Aigis turned over to Minato, "Or should I say.. 'Mission Completed?'"

"I can't believe it.." Daedalus let out a small laugh, the brown eyes looking at everyone with a smile. "I can't believe it's finally gone.."

"Yes, it's all over.." Mitsuru nodded, giving a small smirk.

"I believe a.. 'Celebration' is in order." Aigis' body moved over to the Red-head, blinking. "A Celebration for defeating all 12 to 13 Shadows.. What shall be our victory cheer?"

"..." Minato let out a sly smirk (which was odd, considering he _never _smiled about anything) and whispered over to Aigis. She seemed to nod:

"One, Two, Three! Can we go home now?"

That caused everyone to blink, and everyone to laugh at the robot who probably had no idea on what she was doing.

Junpei cleared his throat, "So~ Senpai. Will you through a party for us tomorrow?"

"J-Junpei!" Daedalus's eyes widened.

"You don't hesitate, do you Iori?" Mitsuru shook her head and laughed. "Well, I suppose I can arrange something."

And so the moment went on for a bit. Everyone was taking their sides when it came to eating, and Junpei was getting quite annoyed by the fact that everyone was taking the food that they chose (Sushi) before he could say anything. Even _Aigis, _the robotic blonde, did not hesitate on taking any of the food that would be prepared before them.

It was then that Daedalus was pulled up by Agaki, having her stand up from the ground. She winced from the pain, but it couldn't be helped..

"S-Senpai.." Daedalus blinked, feeling him ruffle her hair a bit.

"You did a good job, Dae-chan~!" He grinned, "From what I hear, it seems like you didn't want to run at all."

She shook her head, "No way~! It was a promise!"

".._So it's finally time to say goodbye to the Dark Hour.._" Mitsuru's voice darkened a little. She seemed kinda sad. "Is it bad that I'm reluctant to let it go..?"

"No.. Not really.." Akihiko made a comment.

"No.. It's what brought us all together, right..?" Daedalus placed her hands at the necklace that surrounded her neck for months now. She was going to attempt at taking it off, but.. She wanted to wait. "Sesshou will disappear soon, too.."

"That's right. That necklace will finally come off of you!" Junpei grinned, "Hey, Hey! Why don't you try taking it off now~?"

"No way!" She chuckled, "I'll take it off during the Celebration!"

_And that was it.. They saved the world, even though nobody knew it.._

_

* * *

_

**So Daedalus finally fulfilled her goal of helping out SEES til' the end. And now it's time to celebrate!**

**...BUTT If you've played Persona 3, you should know what would be coming next :'D. I actually liked making this chapter, despite the battle being CRAPPY. ;_;.**

**Persona 3 (C) ATLUS**

**Daedalus Tavi, Dark Daedalus, & Daira Tavi (C) Me~**

**Agaki Souhu (C) Lovett-Undertaker**


	39. We're Not At Ease Yet

**Chapter 39 – We're Not At Ease Yet...**

_November 4__th__, 2009 ~ Evening_

"_Dae-chan~! Come down here! Everyone's waiting!_"

Daedalus was busy taking out everything from the closet, under her bed, and anywhere else she had put her things. This was it. Her final day in the dorm, and then she'd be shipped off and taken into care of someone else. She had to admit, she would be missing the gang because of her leave. Would they miss her..?

"I-I'm coming down now!" She called from her room, getting up onto her feet and running out to the stairs to climb down on them. Dae was pretty excited because she could hang out with everyone without something trying to attack her or anything; Sesshou didn't do much to her, either.

When she came down, her eyes widened and gleamed. She had never seen so much Seafood appear before her in her entire life! But she had to keep her cool. After all, this _was _a Thank you gift.

"W-Whoa... Wow!" She held her hands together, the hunger that never rose up now kicking her stomach like a foot would kick anything else. It was then that she looked around, "Where's Aigis? And Ikutsuki-san? I thought they said that they would be here?"

"According to Akihiko-san, Aigis is in need of a tune-up or so. They will be back later." Ken had explained the situation, leaving Dae to tilt her head in confusion before shrugging it off on her own.

All of a sudden, the sound of a car rang through everyone's ears. Mitsuru was the first to jump off the seat that she was sitting on, stating something about the sound and how it made noise like her father's car. Everyone stood up and walked towards the door to gather around it, smiling when they realized it really _was _Mitsuru's father and the Kirijo Company bodyguards (or at least, that's what they looked like).

"We've been waiting for you." Mitsuru gave a small smirk away before looking back at her father with serious eyes.

Her father nodded, averting his eyes around the room to every single person in the room, then clearing his throat to speak up. "So, it's over at last, huh..."

"..Yes." Mitsuru.

"Congratulations to all of you. You've all done well surviving these last few months, and there are no words to express the gratitude that I show." He dug into his pocket, pulling out what seemed like a letter and holding it to his side. "Though, you will _never _receive the recognition you all deserve, it's truly an achievement for teenagers such as you."

"Thank you." Akihiko grinned, speaking up to keep the room from being anymore tense. He noticed Mitsuru's father walk up to them, holding Yukari's hand and locking eyes with the brown-haired female.

"To you, I owe a special thanks.." Those words left Yukari blushing, and that is when he walked up to Dae in the farthest corner of the group to deliver a letter to her. "I believe this is yours.."

"M-Mine..?" Dae took it from his hands, looking at it and then bowing lightly. "I thank you.."

"Thank you both for lending us your power until the very end."

"O-Oh, it's no big deal.." Yukari's face had created a small faded shade of red. Dae on the other hand was fidgeting, holding the letter in her hands but leaving it enclosed so she could read it later.

"I-I only did what I thought was right." She held the letter tightly to her chest.

Mitsuru's father, Takeharu Kirijo, backed up into the same exact spot he stood at before he walked up to talk to the females. It was hard taking all of this in at one moment, but she knew there had to have been _some _explanation behind all this.

"The 12 Shadows that caused all the mess here have been eliminated thanks to you all," He nodded again, "You will not have the need to carry on the burden of this power any longer.. You all have a chance to experience your youth as normal as it can be... That being said."

"_..The Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad will be dissolved as of midnight tonight._"

Everyone went into a shocked mood; In fact, it wasn't something they were fully happy about, especially Daedalus. She felt her stomach become a little uneasy, because after tonight she'll be moved to a different home.

"Um.. Dae?" Fuuko called her name out to her, "Dae-chan? Are you okay..?"

"H-Huh?" She snapped out of her daze, having everyone look at her in embarrassment.

"Is.. something wrong?" Takeharu questioned her, noticing the facial expression she made. "If it's about where you will be placed after this, that's not anything to worry about. We'll make sure you'll be in a good home."

"No, it's fine.. I'm not worried about anything!" She smiled lightly. "H-Honest. L-Let's enjoy tonight."

"..With that settled them, let us celebrate!" Mitsuru closed her eyes and jeered out those words. Her footsteps lead everyone else to the table, except Daedalus herself. Her eyes widened when she noticed her necklace light up once more. It had been awhile since it did that.

"...Another Social Link." Her eyes became half-lidded, and she clutched onto her necklace tightly. "..Somehow.. I have a bad feeling about this..."

~x~

Daedalus had walked up to the top floor where the outside of the dorm was. It was like a patio to her, but sitting on top of the balcony bars and holding onto it tightly with her small hands. She felt like crying; To be honest; She didn't want to leave the dorm so fast like this. She had made some horrible choices, but she couldn't help feeling a little heartbroken for the less time she was able to spend with them. These people she would be going with.. She wouldn't even _know _them.

After taking a picture with Junpei and the others, she had told them she wanted to be alone. Dae had the urge to curl up into a ball and cry her eyes out, but.. Maybe just crying her eyes out would've been better in this situation.

"So.. Tonight is my final goodbye.." She felt something wet stain her cheeks, and her heart just poured out the torn feelings with a wail that could only be heard by some. Oh, how she _wanted _to stay at the dorms so much! It was like a part of her that would die by tomorrow—more so, Midnight.

"_Hey! What's with the long face?_"

Dae panicked, wiping her tears and shaking her head. "W-What are you talking about? I-I was just trying to practice my s-screaming!"

"Sure.." She knew it was Agaki. The way he sounded in this situation made the tense atmosphere. "I noticed you spaced out when Mit-chan's father was talking to you. ..What's _really _bothering you?"

"..I.. feel kind of..." She didn't want to use the word 'sad.' It would have been too small to describe to what she was really feeling. "...Heartbroken? Distressed? But at the same time, I am entirely grateful..."

"Hm?" Agaki rose a brow, now sitting beside the shorter girl.

"I'm entirely grateful for everything they have done. They have all helped me out of the hospital.. Shinji-kun sacrificed his life for Ken and I.. " She covered her mouth, feeling more tears fall down her cheeks even after she had promised not to cry. "And now I'm having my doubts.. T-This sounds too good to be true!"

Agaki's face changed expressions some more, but Daedalus couldn't stop the incoming tears. She held her hands close to her heart, not even noticing that Agaki had put his hand onto her head. He began to ruffle her hair. She felt her own face grow warm, all the while her brown orbs averted to his face that was now concentrating on her own. She stopped sniffling after a bit, realizing Agaki would not stop until she cheered up.

"..Though, they were the ones who gave me the strength to live. Those two.." She laughed—This was not because what she said was funny, or what she said was stupid, but the fact that the memories of their childhood swarmed into her head. Her smile began to show again, at least in front of him.

He made a light gasp when he saw her smile, a small flash of warmth appeared, except on him. "You have a nice smile.."

"E-Eh?"

"You do.."

"Well, um.. T-Than-" Her eyes then rolled back up to the sky's view, spectating it. "The moon. The moon's changing colors! It's finally time..."

That is when she put her hands on her necklace, making sure it wasn't tightly secured before looking back at the sky. It was then that when she tried to take off the necklace, she felt a jolt of pain hit her body.

**November 4****th****, 2009 ~ Dark Hour**

"Agh!" Her balance was knocked off when she felt a shock of pain zap her all around. She continued to scream. If it wasn't for Agaki holding her by the wrist and pulling her back up from the deathbed, she would've died by falling off the dorm!

"T-Tavi-chan?" He placed her onto ground, looking around for any injuries. "W-What's wrong?"

Dae ceased to scream after a few seconds, panting heavily when she looked back at her necklace. "M-My necklace.. I-It won't come off! W-What's going on..?"

_*Ding, Dong, Ding, Dong..*_

"..?" Agaki propped Dae onto her knees, looking around. "...Do you hear that?"

Dae looked up to the green moon in the sky, losing her vision for a minute before coming back to her senses. "N-No... I knew something felt odd about this!"

"Dae-chan! Senpai!" Yukari slammed the door to the roof open, looking at them both. "Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah.. Just a little shock.." Daedalus got back onto her feet. "What's going on?"

"Here!" Yukari tossed Dae her bag of Elements. "There's no time to explain. Mitsuru-senpai wants us to head to Tartarus!"

"Huh? Why?" Agaki blinked.

"Apparently, that's where the sound of the bell is coming from.." Yukari sighed, "Come on, Let's go!"

* * *

**_Such a short Chapter. Bear with me. I'm working on Chapter 40. /o/_**

**_Persona 3 (C) ATLUS_**

**_Daedalus Tavi & Dark Daedalus (C) Me~_**

**_Agaki Souhu (C) Lovett-Undertaker_**


	40. The Reaper Attacks Once More?

**Chapter 40 – The Reaper Attacks Once More?**

...And sooner or later, the group was at Tartarus. Though, what they saw appear in front of their faces _wasn't _what they were expecting at all. Shuji Ikutsuki and Aigis were standing in front of the entrance to Tartarus, a wide grin on Ikutsuki's face.

"I-Ikutsuki-san?" Akihiko's voice sounded like he was being cut off from surprise.

"And.. Aigis?" Yukari tilted her head, "What are you guys doing here..?"

Aigis gave no response, her eyes were not like they used to be. They were.. 'soulless,' as anyone could call them.

Ikutsuki's feet made it closer to the team. "She is merely here to fufill her role—as a _weapon_."

"Wait, w-what?" Daedalus had to question him. "What do you mean by that?"

"Ikutsuki-san.. W-What the hell is going on here..?" Junpei couldn't believe what was seen before his eyes either. It's like something in his head _clicked_, and he might know what's going on with the current situation.

"You said the Dark Hour and Tartarus would disappear after all this!" Akihiko pointed out what was stated so many times for Daedalus already. She greatly disliked what was coming up before them.

"S-So.. This all was a lie?" Daedalus held her head, clutching her hair in a tight grip while she shook her head. "T-This isn't going away?"

"We fought so hard for this.." Akihiko's expression faltered. It reminded Dae of that same face that he had after Shinjiro's death..

"..So, what is your intention?" Mitsuru's question stung like venom from a snake. Ikutsuki didn't seem phased by it, though. "It was all a lie, correct? It was as if you knew from the _beginning _that the Dark Hour would not disappear.."

"It's as if you've read my mind, Mitsuru.." Shuji began to clap his hands in a slow pace before fixating his glasses to look back at the group. "However. What you've now realized is invalid. You're _far _too late to stop it."

"No.." Yukari felt the corners of her eyes sting. Even _Ken _did not hesitate to become stupefied when he found out.

"You _tricked _us?" Was all that escaped his mouth.

"Everything was as I planned," He replied, "Having the Dark Hour and Tartarus not disappear was what I expected. I never wanted you to get rid of them, actually. It was the opposite!"

"What do you mean by that?" Fuuka backed up a little.

"I.. I can't believe it.." Dae whimpered, "I thought we..!"

"Heh.." Ikutsuki cracked out a big fat grin, "The 12 Shadows were parts of a whole, _destined _to be reunited.. And thanks to you all, it has finally been completed." A chuckle erupted from his throat, "Soon, **Death**, the almighty, shall arise and bring forth the fall..."

"Death..?" Ken's eye were quite big by the time he said this. It could have been the mentioning of that word that spooked him.

Not to mention, Dae clutched the wing at the edge of her necklace once more. Something gave her an epiphany, though, and in a few seconds she looked at the back of her necklace.

"T-Two spots left..?" She grit her teeth, "I-I should have realized it from the beginning..! My necklace isn't coming off, either.."

"What's _that _supposed to mean?" Akihiko's anger caused his face to grow red. He was really, _really _frustrated with what Shuji was pulling.

"The end of the world shall free everyone from despair. _Everyone_'s death, but _Everyone_'s beginning..!"

"..." Agaki realized what was happening with Daedalus. She was almost in a state of denial, and the way she was reacting made it worse. He couldn't let this happen—at least, for the 14-year-old that wanted to make up for everything that had happened. "What's with this guy..?"

"10 years ago, I was a scientist that helped out with the project we all had spoken about. The experiment went awry, but this isn't the reason for Dark Hour or Tartarus," By this time, his arms were spread out as if he were about to jump into one big maniacal laughter, "The experiment was supposed to harvest a Shadow's Power.. They were the ones who manifested it before it could do anything for itself.

"That is why your Grandfather gathered so many of them.. He wanted to bring about _the Fall_."

"There's no way that could be true." Mitsuru's red orbs narrowed at the Chairman's. "That..."

"T-Tavi-chan.." Agaki put his hand over her head, noticing her own brown eyes begin to widen at her realization. It didn't shake her though. There wasn't even _blush _on her face to help snap her out of it. "Come on, Tavi-chan.. Come on!"

"..." Another murmur escaped her lips. She couldn't cry; She absolutely would _not _start crying again. It was about time she let something else other than tears synchronize with her emotions.

Ikutsuki didn't mind the boy, because he knew that trying to snap Daedalus out of her daze was futile. He continued to talk, saying something about Princes and Falls and how the people made the world _void_. Agaki had no choice but to embrace the smaller one, rubbing her back lightly and whispering "Shhs."

"Why..?" She felt her body quiver in anxiety. "W-Why is it.. T-That when we're so close, we..."

"Tavi-chan.." Agaki's glum look hardened, now staring at their "Ex"Chairman who looked like he was insane! Everyone could notice the glasses on his face slipping off, but it wasn't the normal type of slipping off. It was more like: "Something's going to happen, and you're screwed because you can't do anything about it!"

"..I have a question for you, then.." Yukari bit her lip, shook her head, and then asked him something. "In that video from my father? He said to defeat them.. Was _that_ a lie, too?"

"Ah.." He nodded, "Your father did record that himself. However, you could say I made some.. _modifications_.."

"What?" It was now Agaki's turn to speak, letting go of Dae and standing up before them. "You _doctored _that?"

"No. It was a _correction_." The brown-haired man cleared his throat. "Your father.. He was one of the few scientists I respected the most, Takeba. He may have not known this, though.. The others were too busy focusing upon the Shadows and their abilities. Your father went into more detail about it."

"And unfortunately, all of that failed as he could not comprehend the fall..."

"..S-So you.. You took something near and dear to someone.. and _twisted it..?_" Daedalus pulled herself together after hearing his explanation, standing right back onto her feet and clenching her fists. "Y-You.. You monster! Something like that shouldn't be touched!"

"He left that recording before his life was _taken_." Mitsuru reminded him,

"It would seem so.. But, it did prove rather useful, so I'm sure he's happy."

"S-So you were behind it _all_?" Yukari's teeth connected with each other, a growl escaping from her mouth. "You used _both _my father and I!"

Shuji Ikutsuki shook his head, "'Used' is _such _an ugly word.. However, you should know by now that it was for the sake of the world. How is it so wrong?"

"Our role is _specifically _to correct the mistakes that were made in the past..." Mitsuru struck a battle stance, clenching her fists and making the skin change colors. "And we intend to do just that."

Yukari took out her Evoker, and Dae placed her bag up to her chest.

"H-Hey, wait.." Junpei's voice sounded panicky.

"A-Are you sure about this, Tavi-chan..?" Agaki placed his hand on her shoulder, but he was wary enough to see if she was going to attack him or not.

A great sigh escaped the Chairman, and he shook his head at the futile attempt at what was happening. "What a disappointment.. Could you not see the light? But, since you are children, it was foolish for me to think that. Aigis? _Seize them_."

And with a click of a button, the robot flew into mid air and created a dust cloud around them all. Everyone had covered their face, but it was useless when they felt themselves be lifted up into the thick black air that remained around the Dark Hour.

**~x~**

Green. Green illuminations that looked like neon lights had collaborated were shining through the bloody streets. Tartarus was still standing in all it's glory, but there was no noise to be heard around them all except the wind blowing. Everyone was unconscious, their eyes closed as they were in a Crucifixion Stance on what looked like crosses. However...

However, they were all lined up atop the Gekkoukan High School. The_ rooftop _of all places! Daedalus felt her arms placed and stretched out differently unlike before. Her eyes were squinting—The subconscious that she knew so well, Sesshou, was internally laughing at her because she couldn't _wait _to see the extermination of the team.

"_T-Tavi-chan..!_" or "_Daedalus-chan!_" was all she could hear under Sesshou's laughter. It was painful, and it was becoming unbearable too. However, she quickly came to like everyone else had once she heard Mitsuru's voice.

"_Father_!"

Ikutsuki was standing with a hand on his hips in front of Takeharu Kirijo. It wasn't as if Mitsuru's Father was safe, however, Aigis was holding him at _gunpoint_! Takeharu couldn't move either; It wouldn't end well if he did move either way.

"Ikutsuki.. What is the _meaning _of this?" Was all that he could ask him for now.

"It's just as it appears!" He gave a playful answer, "They're about to be sacrificed as harbingers of the Fall. Everything has fallen into play; There's no stopping what will happen next."

"_What?_" Akihiko was trying so hard to break out of the chains.

"You son of a _bitch_!" Junpei bellowed from above, fear obviously coming into his voice.

"T-This is.. This is unforgivable!" Daedalus screeched, wiggling around. "You won't win so easily, Ikutsuki-sa-"

That's when Aigis' gun hand clicked and aimed directly at his back. Mitsuru let out a small gasp, because she knew if they continued saying something...

"You _traitor!_ Are you _insane_?"

"Of _course_ not!" Ikutsuki cracked another smile, "Your father was a _very _unlucky man, you know. Even you, as his son, could not understand his vision."

"My father was wrong." Takeharu, "Death is _salvation_? No one should _ever _embrace it like that!"

"Fool!" Ikutsuki felt the urge to smack Takeharu, but instead a corrupted laugh escaped his lips. "You're nothing but a nuisance now. ..Aigis!"

"No, _don't _Aigis! I'm begging you!" Mitsuru's last call to her. She couldn't let her father die before her, it wasn't right and she would never be able to forget that image!

"Nngh.." Aigis' gun was shaking. She didn't pull the trigger. Not yet...

"What are you _doing_, Aigis?"

"I-I.. am.." Words. _Words_ were coming out of Aigis' mouth now. Before only one word came out by force, but now.. Aigis seemed to regain control of her body again.

Ikutsuki wasn't about to let this go so easily, though. It was as if he had a backup plan from the start due to a pistol appearing in his hand so quickly. "I've waited so long for this.. Ten years I have _wasted_.. and I won't make any exceptions now!"

It was then that everyone began to spectate what seemed like a twisted version of Russian Roulette, except with the fact that the gun Takeharu had obtained and the gun that Shuji had were both aimed at each other. Mitsuru's brown orbs lost their spark, and instead were filled with misery and pain. Her father had just been shot in the chest, and she couldn't do anything about it!

"F-Father.." She winced, "_Father!_"

"We will end this.." Shuji didn't come clean, though. His arm was bleeding severely, so it proved that Takeharu's shot wasn't a miss. "Aigis! _Execute _them now!"

Aigis was now back into Ikutsuki's control, and gave a swift turn back to SEES. Everyone was crying out her name, and everyone wanted her to snap out of it before she did something wrong!

She aimed her ten fingers at Minato, the guns locked on and filled with ammo. Minato didn't say anything, but he stared. He stared into those eyes and made her shake from hesitation. No one believed that she would hesitate, but one Ikutsuki tried to holler at her again...

She **misfired**.

She had shot the chains and binds instead, letting everyone get off of the binds that had locked them up there for quite some time. Daedalus stood up straight after landing, one of her eyes turning dark purple as she nodded to Koromaru.

"You _worthless _Machine!" Ikutsuki was about to press a button the switch that was used before, when Koromaru sprinted over and grabbed it from his hand. Tossing it up into the air, Daedalus felt the ground break through a little when she summoned a vine to smash it up into bits. Of course, she was in pain and had a headache because she knew Sesshou wasn't amused. However, she had to bear with it and finish off Ikutsuki!

"This useless, _pathetic _world will crumble before you in due time, don't you understand?" Ikutsuki had lost his sanity from all this, that's for sure. He was still trying to persuade the team about all of this, "Only it's destruction will bring about Salvation."

"Only _I _will be able to rule over the new world.." The gun was pointed, "If everyone sacrifices themselves towards the Fall..."

Daedalus called back the vine, panting a little from what just happened. She just listened to Ikutsuki laugh before he said his final goodbyes and fell off the rooftop into his own little hell..

* * *

**_Ho shiz. I'm actually on Chapter 40. AAAAAH. I HIT CHAPTER 40. THAT'S A CONSPIRACY._**

**_/shot_**

**_Seriously, though. Hoorah? While chapter 40 is quite depressing, especially on this part of the game, I'm surprised I made it this far. Only a little bit more left, and soon a bunch will happen to Daedalus~_**

**_Stay tuned. Because this is a semi-cliffhanger._**

**_Persona 3 (C) ATLUS_**

**_Daedalus & Dark Daedalus (C) Me~_**

**_Agaki Souhu (C) Lovett-Undertaker_**

**_*PS* I apologize for my grammar errors. I'm running out of words *panic*_**


	41. So Many Goodbyes

**Chapter 41 – So Many Goodbyes..**

"..." Daedalus looked below, seeing nothing but darkness, and not even hearing his fall...

"How.." Yukari whimpered, "How did it come to all this..?"

Indeed. They had to ask. How _did _it come to all this? Why did it have to happen? Takeharu Kirijo was on the ground, dying—If not already, dead. Mitsuru was kneeling by him, and the whole team began to watch them with horrified expressions. Poor Kirijo...

"One time, my father made a promise.." Mitsuru began to speak, her voice slightly cracked. "He swore that he would atone for us, even if it meant his life to be taken away..."

She pounded on his chest, feeling something wet fall across her cheeks when she lowered her head. "But I.. I wanted him to_ live_. .._That's _why I became a Persona-user..!"

Everyone had the urge to bit their lip, and everyone was already at a loss for words. Never would they have imagined to see Mitsuru cry like this—especially because she was so strong for her own good. If only the Dark Hour was like a reset button; They would be able to get by just fine, and her father wouldn't be...

.._gone_.

...

_November 5__th__, 2009 ~ Evening_

Minato, Yukari, Junpei, Akihiko, Fuuko, Daedalus, Ken, and Koromaru sat up in the Control Room after school that day. Daedalus kept her hands behind her back, remembering Mitsuru's look on her face when she saw her father being killed before her eyes. It must have hurt, considering Mitsuru was attached to her father... All she could do was clutch the necklace she wore into her hand tightly. She remembered that her skills could not cure bullet wounds, and inside she felt kind of useless.

"The room's been cleared out," Fuuko broke the silence, "The Chairman's, anyway."

"Well, that's no surprise." Akihiko shook his head.

"I can't believe all of this could have actually happened..." Yukari bit her nails anxiously.

"They put it in the Newspaper already, but blamed it on illness.." Ken heaved a sigh, "That's to be expected.."

"Once again. It's not the truth." The boxer clenched his fist in anger. He _hated _feeling so powerless like this.

"Souhu-senpai's not here either, huh..?" Dae poked her fingers together, "He must have gone with Senpai to make sure that she isn't in too much pain..."

"Shouldn't you be leaving by now, though? I thought they said.."

"Mitsuru-senpai's father was supposed to call in on my Foster Home today," She interrupted Junpei, "Because of his death, Senpai had to answer the phone for him.. She told them it would be awhile before I could go where they live."

"Where were you supposed to go anyway, Dae-Dae..?"

"An orphanage not too far from here." She scratched the back of her head, "You know, Hiko-kun.. It won't be too bad staying around. I'll need to help the rest of the team out if we continue fighting like this.."

"There's a lot of Family business with this, too. So it'll be awhile before Mitsuru comes back to the dorms." He informed the rest of the team, "At least a week."

"That sounds rough, I hope she'll be okay..." Yukari used that worried tone of hers.

"Souhu-senpai's supposed to be leaving today.. I was only able to say a quick goodbye, so he might be gone by now." Dae shook her head, "I hope he did what he could to comfort her.."

"I'm sure she'll be fine," Junpei cleared his throat, "But.. What are we supposed to do now?"

No answer. Junpei's eyes widened.

"W-What'll happen to Chidori?" He wanted an answer, and wanted it now."

"They're probably too busy to be thinking, so there's no word yet. The entire group must be mindblown." Akihiko.

"I hope Aigis'll be alright, too.." Fuuka remembered the Robot was similar to a human.

The rest of the conversation was just bickering from all sides. Yukari was more concerned about the Dark Hour, how they were going to get rid of it, and how they were going to fight off what was supposed to be _the Fall_. Akihiko continued to talk about the delay between the whole Kirijo group, and the others started adding their two cents in. Daedalus thought it might have been best to just walk out the room, but didn't realize that Koromaru had followed her from behind.

"Ah. Koro-chan.." Daedalus bent down and pat the small dog's head, "That was a brave move you did out there. I'm glad you and I broke that control."

Koromaru barked, wagging his tail as he started to follow Daedalus until he stopped on the floor all the female rooms were in. He walked around her in circles before running behind one of the plants in pots and pulled out what seemed to be a knife. He placed it at her feet, bowing and panting like the loyal dog he is.

"What's this..?" She picked it up in her hands, noticing it shine. "This knife looks pretty new.. A little blunt, but.. W-Was this yours, Koro-chan?"

The Dog barked as if he agreed or said yes.

"It looks like I can have it, huh?" She smiled, "Well.. I may not be able to use it, but I'll surely keep it with everything else you guys have given me."

She remembered the Thank You Letter that had been given just that night, too. She might open it later on, but right now she was too busy focusing on what would happen with the Dark Hour or Tartarus.

It was then that her eyes widened when she realized the scenery was going gray before her again.

Another Social Link Maxed, and another feather gained. Just one more push...

….

_November 11__th__, 2009 ~ After School_

The little white haired girl was on the roof after school today. It wasn't too hot, and it wasn't too cold. She had her hands clenched together, but she was busy sitting on the where the "barriers" were and felt the wind blow against her face. She had talked to Junpei a few days ago, remembering how depressed he sounded when he told her that Chidori acted weird and said to never come to the hosptial again. Not to mention, she met a mysterious kid named Ryoji a few days ago, but she hadn't talked to him personally.

"Well, _hello _there~"

Looks like this was her chance. Dae turned around to see the pale-skinned boy. When she looked at him in detail, she didn't even realize how.. _different _he looked unlike others. He was normal: His short black hair and blue eyes showed even with the yellow scarf he wore covering his face. Ryoji's clothing was something similar to suspenders, and he wore a watch, too. Dae didn't like the tone of that, but she just stood her ground like anyone else.

"Hi there!" Ryoji had a nice little grin flash at her, "You're pretty short for a Junior. How old are you?"

"F-Fourteen.." She spoke softly, placing her hands over her heart. "Why..?"

"Ooh~ A young one at that!" He walked closer to her, "Say.. You seem like my type. Cute, small, and overall the one I could be with. What do you say?"

"..." She hated her height _so _much right now. The only reason was because she could easily cower in fear, but she was quite embarrassed to say the least. He was asking her out, now? The only thing she could do was back away.

"Well~? Come on! I-"  
"S-Stop it!" She smacked his arm away when he tried to reach out to her, standing on her tip-toes to assert herself. "I-I don't want to date you! When you're flirting like that, y-you're not going to get many girls at _all_."

"Oh come on..." Ryoji looked down, "Don't you _want _to try dating sometime..?"

"L-Leave me alone!" She pushed him away, running off the roof and outside the school because of Ryoji messing with her. She was already starting to dislike the guy because of his flirting, but perhaps this is what any guy does in the first place so it shouldn't be new.

..Right?

~x~

_November 16__th__, 2009 ~ After School_

"Hey, Daedalus-chan. You've never been out of your home, haven't you?"

Daedalus turned to the blue haired girl, Fuuka, who had asked the question while they were walking down the hall.

"M-Me? N-No, not really.." She chuckled, "Actually, I lived in Tatsumi for all my life from what I know. My parents said that I lived in Osaka, but.. That's a lie.."

"I see.." Yukari pat her head, smirking when they arrived back at the dorms. "Oh, you know. Apparently, Mitsuru-senpai returned back into the dorm. We should cheer her up some, y'know?"

"Oh, yeah." Dae nodded, "We can't really leave her unattended. I have a bad feeling that something'll happen if we do, s-so let's comfort her the best to our ability."

"Kyoto tomorrow, though.." Yukari began to ponder at the thought of going to another part of Japan. This made Daedalus as eager as she could be, considering she was always isolated inside her house..

Just one more day. One more day, and they would be going to Kyoto for awhile...

* * *

**_Remember how I said I was going to work on Blackbullet? I raged on this chapter because I was murdered out on ideas. This was so quick, that I hated it. baw.._**

**_I'll work on Yasogami Busters! later. I promise. q_q_**

**_Persona 3 (C) ATLUS_**

**_Dark Daedalus, Daedalus Tavi, and Daira Tavi (C) Me~_**


	42. Kyoto! Kyoto!

**Chapter 42 – Kyoto! Kyoto!**

_November 17__th__, 2009 ~ Morning_

The students of Gekkoukan High were _just _now getting onto the train. As exciting as it was, Little Daedalus was still the one who was troubled by the trip itself. The last time she went somewhere, her necklace made her collapse in the sand. Not to mention, Daedalus had to deal with the new kid _Ryoji_, and her height made it hard to get through the people around her! She sighed, walking into the train alone and sitting on whatever seat was free.

"_Hey! I wasn't expecting to see you again._"

Dae had a little "Tch" escape her lips; She blushed deeply, fidgeting because she was by the one person she did _not _want to sit by: Ryoji. She was grateful for sitting by the window, because she knew for a fact that she could just look away from him whenever she wanted to. Ryoji let out a small frown.

"Come on~ Don't you like talking?" He poked her shoulder, "You never answered my question about that date."

"Leave me a-alone.." She winced, looking away from him. "I don't w-want to date you.."

"Aww~ Why do you have to be like that?" He placed a hand on her shoulder, leaning in. "Don't you know how popular I am with girls right now? It'd be surpr-"

"S-S-Stop!" She pleaded, swatting his arm away from her. She never realized that Yukari and Junpei were beside her, so she never expected it when the female smacked him atop the head.

"Ow..!" He rubbed his head, letting out a wince and a sigh. "Must you do that?"

"Stop messing with Dae-chan!" A scolding came out from her, wagging her pointed finger at the scarved boy. This was unexpected; Dae wasn't expecting Yukari to do that for her. She was really happy that the girl had made her get away from him "Dae, just get up and switch seats with Junpei."

"What?" His eyes widened, "Why?"

"So _you _and Ryoji can stick together!" A grunt was heard from the pink-uniformed girl before she dragged Daedalus to her seat before the others saw when it was moving. Daedalus had bowed slightly before looking out the window that was on her side. At least it was easier to avoid the guy now.

She heard a slight "Aww.." from the boy, but decided to ignore it because it wouldn't help if she subjected to it. She would just be even _more _frustrated with him. All she heard was more talking being drowned out from the front, the side, and the back respectively. It was as if leaning on the window would be nice to do right now; She was already a little tired from waking up earlier than usual in the morning. Within the next minutes, she drifted off to sleep with her head sliding down the window. Her consciousness wasn't going to come back for awhile.

~**x**~

Daedalus stirred from the slumber she had fallen into. She didn't wake in the real world, but the same place that she dreaded to go to from there on out: **The Black Forest**.

It wasn't like the place was as dark and depressing as it was when Daedalus had came to it the first few times. In fact, the world seemed to be restoring itself to what seemed like the original state of the said forest. The swamp that she always landed in front of was a river flowing under a small bridge, and the dead grass had revived itself through all this time. Was this a new path? Was this a new world she had to explore? Daedalus wanted to find out, so she crossed the bridge to find out where it was leading to in the world of what seemed like her necklace.

"..Sesshou..?" Her feet stopped creating movement when she realized only about a forth of the darkened world still remained right in front of her. There was Sesshou's throne – Along it, were some vines that were squirming around in the air. The plants themselves were damaged, but it didn't seem like they were going to give in with absorbing strength. When she saw one of the bushes near the seat rustle, she jumped. "S-Sesshou?"

"_Damn... you..._"

A figure fell out of the bush on all fours, coughing up a storm by pounding onto a (feminine) chest to clear her throat. The body shivered; It looked _just _like the white haired teen herself! However, this little one had violet eyes, and she could clearly tell it was the demon from the necklace.

"Thanks to you.. I'm losing my _power_!" She kept her head down, clenching the palms of her hands to show shades of white appear along with the blood she had cease the circulating. "To think that you of all people.. As _weak _and _powerless _as you are.. Could defeat me?"

"..." Dae gave a small smile; A triumphant smile that showed that even _she _could defeat the darkness that manifested in her heart. "I know I can do this! I knew after courage and motivation, that I would be able to knock you down and finish you off once and for all!"

"...Ugh.. Damn.." She fell face first into the ground, beginning to disappear. "Might as well wake up from this stupid state, Daedalus.. You might as well.."

"Eh?" She blinked, puzzled at what the other girl meant by that.

"Wake up... It's only a dream.."

"_Wake up_..."

_November 17__th__, 2009 ~ Evening_

"_Dae-chan, wake up!_" Yukari was busy attempting at stirring the smaller girl awake. Dae grunted, the eyelids of hers fluttering open when she saw Yukari staring into her eyes from trying to wake her up. The other girl laughed, smiling at her. "Had a nice nap? We're here at Kyoto now."

"K-Kyoto..? Really..?" her arms stretched up into the air, and she let out a small yawn before getting up and walking off the train with everyone else. She didn't realize that it was already the evening, but.. That dream wasn't real. It didn't seem like it...

She sighed, walking along with Yukari while being lost in thought. It sounds too awkward; Like, Sesshou was already powerful from the start. There was no way in hell that she would be dying right before her eyes, right..? Not to mention! Ikutsuki already tricked them once; She didn't need anyone else bringing down her guard when it came to serious situations like this.

"...You okay?" Yukari nudged her again, and she jumped a little before looking at her.

"Y-Yeah.." Dae nodded in half-truth. "I'm Okay... I'm fine!"

~**x**~

The place where everyone was staying was beautiful; The floors and walls were furnished with bright, yet releaxing colors. Tables, umbrellas, and everything else they could have ever dreamed of was set up in the front. This was the Godaigo Inn, and it seems like everyone was enjoying the view that they got from it.

Yukari, Ryoji, Minato, Daedalus, Aigis, Fuuka, and Junpei had come to a halt from walking inside. Junpei fist pumped in the air, exclaiming at how much he wanted to be at this place. Ryoji pointed out that he was getting _bored _of the trip in the first place. Ryoji flirted with Dae once more, before talking about some sort of Geisha. Though, Yukari just scoffed and walked ahead with the short one's hand in hers.

"There are hot springs here, aren't there?" Daedalus had this question in her head. She had never been to a hot spring before, so she was kind of embarrassed when asking about it. "I-I can't wait to see all the scenery that's around us.."

"That's just the courtyard, but there _are _Hot Springs from what I know." Fuuka grinned, "I was reading up about this place whenever I could, and I heard it should have some Hot Springs. You've never been in one, right?"

"Right.."

"Then, it'll be a fun adventure for you, Dae-chan! Come on," Fuuko lead both her and Aigis along with Yukari. "Let's go unpack and get ready for tomorrow's little free time!"

"H-Huh?" She felt a hand grab her wrist and drag her away, running towards the girls who also had their bags filled with things they needed for the trip. She didn't notice Mitsuru around, so she expected her to have packed up already.

_That, or she just needed time to think..._

_

* * *

_

**..I told myself I was going to update my USUK Story, along with Links to Fantasy on deviantART, and in the end I started planning another story and how I'm going to fit it in with everyone else's I'm sorry guys ;o;.**

**I have been busy, lately though. Not just with planning stories, but Homework's been bombing me like a biiiiitch. I'm sorry this chapter sucks. It was more of a Rough Draft.**

**...Man, I forgot how long Persona is _;;.**


	43. Faltering Hopes and Hot Springs

**Chapter 43 – Faltering Hopes and Hot Springs**

_November 19__th__, 2009 ~ Evening_

It had only been about three days that Daedalus came to Kyoto, but she was already having fun with all the members of SEES. Fuuko had taken her to pray somewhere, Yukari was showing her around with many different places, but then there were the comical times where Ryoji had tried to chase Dae at some points in time. She disliked it greatly, but it was only for a few days; She could deal with it, right?

She was wrapping a towel around her small body, shivering because the cool hair suddenly surprised her. She was quite embarrased though; While she had heard of the customs in spas to wear a towel and sit, her blush never went away whether she would be fully clothed or not.

"U-Um.. Yukari-chan.. Mitsuru-senpai.." She fidgeted, "A-Are you sure it's okay for us to go in at this time?"

They were already walking towards the Spa after checking in the times. Daedalus was always reassured that she would be safe, but.. She wasn't _too _sure about the whole thing. What if some guy was peeking from behind the rocks or something? She had asked Yukari many questions about Kyoto, even going as far as comparing where the two had lived. It was quite nostalgic for the fourteen-year-old.

"W-Well, we're here.." Dae walked inside, noticing the rocks and hot steam blowing in all of their faces. "E-Eek!"

"What's wrong? Too hot for you?" Fuuka giggled, walking ahead of them.

"N-No, I'm not used to steam blowing into my face." Dae smiled shyly, walking into the water until she realized waist up that the water was covering her. "E-Eek!"

"Oh, calm down Dae-chan!" Another laugh came from Yukari, "It's just water, there's no harm in it!"

"I-I know.." She followed them and stood as they sat down in the water. Mitsuru had also jumped into the fun and spoke to them all about the Hot Springs. She never realized how much there was to talk about Kyoto either way. At some point, Fuuka and Yukari spoke to her about the Shrines that were around her, and Mitsuru also pointed out some of the things she noticed while walking around. Dae was more interested in the scenery than anything else, so she was already enjoying her trip.

..But then there was a sudden splash.

"W-What's going on..?" Dae looked around, panicking.

"You heard it, too..?" Yukari stood up, biting her lip while walking another direction. "I'll check on this side, you check on the other."

"O-Okay.."

"What's going on, Yukari?" Mitsuru stood up as well, "Let us follow along."

"I thought I heard someone in here. Let's check it out."

"R-Right! Fuuka-san.. C-Can you come along with me..?"

"Sure." She nodded, "Let's go check something out over there."

They had not found any traces of people so far, but this was _really _starting to spook Dae out. She didn't want to be here anymore, but she also wanted to find out who was making all the noise around her. Continuing walking across with Aigis on her team, she noticed what looked like a blue-haired boy standing with a taller.. _male_? Dae's eyes widened, her blush darkened, and without notice she started screaming to the best of her ability.

"W-Wait! Dae-Dae, don't scre-"

"What's going on?" Mitsuru and Yukari ran from the other side, "Ryoji? _Junpei_?"

Dae ran behind Aigis, who had stood up front of the other two. Now all the females were surrounding the males, blushing and angered by their acts. Except Dae. Dae was also fainted when she saw the guys.

"Ah, shit.. um.. er..." Junpei's eyes were averting up and down. He didn't know how to put this at all.

"W-Wait, guys! This is just a misunderstanding.. P-Please don't look at us like that!" Akihiko was the next to speak. He obviously wasn't that amused with what the boys have done.

"_Silence_!" Said Mitsuru, looking to the girls that were behind the others. "I'm going to _execute _you _all_!"

The girls inched closer, except Dae didn't really get to the front. She was still behind them, and wasn't really in the mood to do anything. Aigis mentioned something that could've sounded like sarcasm, or just deadly serious. Within seconds, the girls grabbed the guys, pushing them down into the water and making sure they were losing consciousness.

And Dae..? Well.. Let's just say Dae had to get out of the Spa before she fainted from the heat herself.

…

_November 20__th__, 2009 ~ Daytime_

The girls didn't even want to _talk _to the boys after this; In fact, they all were pretty glad about what they did to the boys. They were already packed up and ready to get out of Kyoto and go home, but Dae... Dae was still pretty embarrassed from what happened last night. She already knew for a fact that she would hurt the next male who tried to look at her body (even for her size...).

"Those stupid boys.." Yukari muttered under her breath, "They deserved what we did last night!"

"I never thought Sanada-senpai would stoop that low..." Fuuko hid her mouth with her hand, blush still covering her face a bit. "Not only that, but..."

They didn't know _what _to add to Fuuko's sentence, because they already knew what they could say about them without even doing so. They were now walking across the room, everyone but Mitsuru looking at them before walking off.

"They deserve the Punishment that they got, so there's no need to hesitate."

They all could've sworn Mitsuru grind her teeth when she said this. It wasn't surprising though, because they all felt like doing the same exact thing.

"T-That was horrible..." Dae covered her face, feeling the need to squeal again. "I felt like I was going to die of embarrassment.."

"Let's... Just board with the other students and get back home."

…

_November 21__st__, 2009 ~ ?_

The day went by quickly through the train, and the girls had sooner or later forgave the boys; However, Mitsuru wasn't seeing it as a misunderstanding either way. That wasn't the point right now, the point was that Daedalus had been feeling... Rather iffy ever since they got back onto the train and drove back from Kyoto to Iwatodai.

She was in pain; Not like being smacked around, but it sure did feel like it. Her necklace had been reacting lately, so it was hard for her to even have a calm hour without thinking that Sesshou was attacking her from all sides. Many of the girls had given her funny looks, but she said it was just a stomachache and usually blew them off whenever they tried to ask her something.

"What's going on...?" She ran to the bathroom at once and clutched her necklace tightly, holding herself up by using one of the walls. "Sesshou never reacted this much when it came to fighting against my own body... Why is she reacting more than normal? And why did I dream about her home that night?"

Come to think of it, she stopped taking suppressants hadn't she? It harmed her body more than it should have, but it stopped Sesshou from attacking her so much. Why was it suddenly reacting to almost every time around her?

"N-No..." She whispered to herself, "I'll keep fighting.. The forest was near death, so she shouldn't be this powerful.. This power..."

Falling to a knee, she closed her eyes to think about it for a few. Oh, how she was _lucky _to fall out here in the bathroom during lunch than any other period. Everyone would have worried.

"_**I have a bad feeling.. A feeling that everything's going to fall to pieces within time...**_"

* * *

**_Short chapter is short and I apologize. Due to , I couldn't post ANYTHING at all. Not like I had much to post, just this and Pokemon. Though, THE CHAPTERS ARE GETTING SO CLOSE TO A POINT I'VE WANTED TO WRITE FOR ALMOST 3 YEARS NOW ;^;._**

**_But yeah. That's it c:._**

**_Persona (C) ATLUS_**

**_Daedalus Tavi, Dark Daedalus, & Daira Tavi (C) Me~_**


	44. Author's Announcement

A Message to all...

I'm sorry that I haven't been updating recently. I've been quite tired, my inspiration has been shot, and I haven't been typing that much when it comes to working on many of my Fanfiction. So this is just a quick announcement.

I won't be working on anything big other than a story by the name of **Counter Revolution **from here on out.

It's a USUK story [Axis Powers Hetalia, for those who don't know] that my friend and I are working on together. We will post it on a separate account, but for now... I can't focus on Blackbullet or any of the other stories.

In Short, the only 4 I'm Concentrating on right now are: **Blackbullet, Links to Fantasy, Yasogami Busters! & Pokemon: Friends Reunited**

For some reason, I can't seem to stick with chaptered stories... But because I'm collaborating with Counter Revolution, I have no reason to drop it.

Most of my stories will be One Shots. I... I don't know why. I can't write that much anymore; It's as if my will won't allow it.

I'm sorry for the inconvienence. Forgive me! w;;


	45. A Surprise, Surprise

**Chapter 44 ~ A Surprise, Surprise..**

_November 22__nd__ 2009 ~ Daytime_

Daedalus had her eyes closed as she sat outside in the fields of grass for the day. She didn't have much to do, considering it was a Sunday. However, she was still thinking about what had happened the other day during school. It was frustrating her until it gave her a headache, in which she just shook head. She sighed, biting her lip and standing up onto her feet to look around and see if there was anyone to talk to.

Well there was always at least one person back at the dorm! She could probably talk to them there, however... The conversation might have been awkward if she's talking with someone different than most of the people she was close to. She decided to scrap that idea and explore on her own once more, and maybe find out some more about her Persona—Shadow. Yeah. That's about right. Her Shadow; Nothing more, nothing less.

"...Well.." She had already taken the train, so it'd be useless to pay more money and travel back. However, that wouldn't be _extremely _useless. When she heard Fuuka was taking up cooking on her own a few days ago, she wanted to try it out for herself. She could buy out a few cookbooks or something if they were around in that store; It'd be a nice skill to have for her future after all. "There must be _something _useful for me to do out of boredom. I-I guess it wouldn't be too bad if I started it off!"

She began to walk towards the train station again, realizing that when she dug into the small coin purse she carried along with her for the day, there wasn't enough money for her to get onto the train _anyway_. Well, this sucked! How the hell was she even going to get home from all of this? She couldn't even use her Persona in the middle of the crowd; Stupid Dark Hour and everything in between!

"W-Well, I guess I'll have to stay here for awhile..." She looked around, "Maybe one of the other members of SEES will find me out here. Y-Yeah.."

Then again, when she thought about it, she could totally be left there on her own. That would be horrible for her... She had to stop thinking of the worst case scenario! She decided to lean against the wall with her hands at her sides, staring down at the necklace that could only be seen through the corner of her eye. It was still giving her small shivers when she thought about it, but she had to pay no mind to it after a few minutes. She just watched the busy people walk right passed her, looking all around at the movement.

"_Daedalus-chan? What are you doing here?_"

Dae turned her head to the the direction the voice was coming from, only to see the aqua-haired teenage schoolgirl running up to her. Fuuka. She was saved! She could actually get somewhere and possibly not be bombarded by a bunch of crowds, or be stuck there forever!

"Fuuka-san..!" Daedalus walked closer, finding the girl standing before her with a small smile on her face. "I-I'm sorry to ask for such a favor, but I forgot my coin purse back at the dorm.. Can I go back on the train with you?"

"Oh, is that why you're standing there?" She lightly chuckled, nodding. "Of course. I have some money to spare. What's up?"

"I'm going to go to the dorm and to the nearest bookstore to buy some cookbooks.. I-I want to learn how to make something, so I can at least help you guys out in the dorm."

"Ah! You're learning how to cook, too?" Fuuka clapped her hands together and smiled. "We should team up sometime and make something for the dorm."

"That'd be great." Dae smiled lightly, showing off a beam of happiness for the approval of what she wanted to do. "Let us get to the train then? It'd be nice."

"Of course." Fuuko replied, taking her hand and walking towards the train, "Let's get to the train station..."

~**x**~

"_Oooh... What book should I get?_"

Daedalus was looking through the section at a pretty cluttered bookstore by the name of Bookworms. Fuuka was following right behind; When she had learned that Daedalus wanted to learn how to cook, it kind of excited her because of how much she's wanted to cook herself. She noticed Daedalus go after more of the Baking types of books, rather than a normal cookbook. She was scrolling through the pages, her brown eyes averting left and right to find one. Sad part that it was getting late...

"Are you taking a liking to baking?" An elderly woman walked up to Dae, patting her on the head. "Ohh, but you're a little too young aren't you? Is the young woman here going to help you cook?"

"Um.. I'm 14, ma'am." Dae bowed to her, showing respect to the Elders. "She's my s-schoolmate, so.. I'm trying to learn how to cook.."

"Oh! I'm sorry, sweetie... Please excuse my rudeness. You both go to Gekkoukan, don't you?" The elder smiled lightly, taking Dae's hand and patting it. "I know a boy that always takes his time to come and visit us.. He goes to Gekkoukan High School just like you both.."

"Is that so?" Fuuka turned to Dae, tilting her head. "It could be Minato-kun, couldn't it...? He seems like the type that would be going to pick up books from this store.."

"So you both _do _know Arisato-kun~" The woman looked to her husband, who wore a sweatshirt and held a pipe in his hands. He was cleaning his glasses, but paying attention to everything they were saying so far... Or at least, it seemed like it. "Oh, Bunkichi, isn't this great?"

"Ah, it is indeed." He gave a small chuckle, pulling out something from behind the register. In fact, _two _of the same things. "Please, take these Melon Breads.. Give Minato my regards.."

"W-We'll be sure to.." Dae chuckled, taking one of them and pushing onto the package because of how soft it was. "U-Um.. Before I leave, may I buy this book?"

Fuuka took the book from her hands, holding it out as if she were to buy it. "I'll buy it for you Daedalus-chan. You don't have to worry about the price at all.."

"A-Are you sure?" Her eyes widened; Fuuka didn't have to be this nice to her. Not at all! "I-I could always come back for this book, Fuuka..."

"I don't mind it at all." She gave an affirmative nod, placing the yen on the table while getting the book and her bread wrapped up in a bag. "We should get back to the Dorm, shouldn't we? We should take it easy as these next few days fly by."

"Oh, yeah." Dae nodded, bowing twice before walking outside the store with Fuuka. "We'll give Minato-kun our regards! Goodbye!"

"_Take Care!_"

**~x**~

_November 22__nd__ 2009 ~ Dark Hour_

That night, Daedalus couldn't sleep. She tilted and tumbled in her bed, but every time she did she felt her necklace glow and cause slight pain when she lay onto it. She was tired, she was scared, and she was worried that something else might happen if she even got the tiniest bit of sleep. It was already the Dark Hour, right? She couldn't remember the time right now, but she saw something green at the corner of her eyes. That had to be the Green Moon and many other things, right?

All of a sudden, she heard a noise. And then a familiar voice came onto the Intercom:

"_I'm sorry to wake you up.. But, I need you to come to the Command Room right away._"

"...Huh?" She pulled the covers off the bed, slipping on her socks and slippers before walking down the hallway in her nightgown. She didn't really want to get up, but at least she could put her insomnia to use.

She grabbed her Elemental glove on the way up, dashing up the stairs while holding the dress so she wouldn't slip or trip over it when taking each step in a quick rush. She noticed Koromaru waiting at the steps, dashing up to the floor in which the Command Room was on. Daedalus stopped for a minute, quivering because she felt her breath run out for the brief moment.

Slipping on the glove, she barged into the Command Room, walking up to all the other SEES members as well. She may have been in slippers, but they should've known that it was because she was rushed upstairs. Fuuka was hidden—Well, it wasn't _really _hiding, but she was using her Persona (in which I had not seen before; Did she gain a new Persona while I was gone?) to sense what was going on around the Dormitory, or at least where Tartarus was at.

"While we were all about to retire for the night, Yamagishi sensed something." Mitsuru told her the whole situation, her arms crossed against her chest while she spoke. Now Daedalus was curious; What type of Shadow could have barged in _now_? Wouldn't a big Shadow come every full moon? "They aren't Shadows, but Persona-users. They are outside of Tartarus!"

"E-Eh?" Daedalus backed up a bit. The only Persona users she knew of were Daira, and Strega... She highly doubted that Daira would appear out of the blue; What the hell was going on exactly? "B-But, didn't they..."

"At least, that's what we thought.." Ken muttered, "If those really are Strega, then they still plan on confronting us."

"Why is this _still _happening?" Yukari stamped her foot, the rage in her heart obviously flourishing. "First the Dark Hour won't go away, and then Strega comes back. _What's going on_?"

"How many members are currently out there?" Minato asked, not even being affected by the tension that swarmed around his head.

"_There's only one, but..._" Fuuka looked down, "_I thought she was in the hospital—_Kh_!_"

Daedalus felt her necklace react once more, but to the pain that Fuuka was now experiencing. She clutched onto it with her own hands, and the necklace felt as if it were burning inside her own hand. While she tried to concentrate on lessening the pain, Fuuka had mentioned something about someone being inside another person until her eyes averted to a state of a dark purple. A grin that could have stricken fear into a toddler appeared, and that's when Dae realized something.

Fuuka... wasn't Fuuka for the moment.

"_**Long time no see...**_"

That familiar voice!

That must have been...

"Chi...dori..?" Junpei blurted out, his eyes clearly dilated when he watched Fuuka's grin stay plastered onto the innocent girl's face. This was horrible; Chidori was controlling her just to send out a threat to them?

"_**I can't stand the sight of you all anymore.. So I've decided to do something about it..**_" Fuuka clapped her hands together, nodding with that same smirk, "_**Come to me...**_"

"She was speaking through.. Yamagishi?" Mitsuru.

"What the hell? I thought she was..." Yukari. However, she wasn't going to let Junpei slip by so easily. She turned towards the boy, her eyes narrowing into tight slips. "You have something to do with this.. Don't you, Junpei?"

"No, I really don't!" He replied, his face covered by that baseball cap he always wore whether it was raining or snowing. "I don't have a freakin' _clue _about this. Leave me alone!"

Daedalus moved out of the way, watching the capped teenager blow up and dash out of the room. She held her hands by her mouth, noticing Fuuka fall to her knees before looking at him storm out of the room. She sighed, turning towards Minato with her eyes continuously averting from back to the doors that had now closed after the slam.

"This is most likely a trap, but even so, we need to deal with Strega once more. If we confront them, there may be a chance that we get some information. It's all or nothing." Mitsuru picked up her Rapier near the computer, walking while it pointed to the ground.

"_P-Please be careful..._" Fuuka noted, feeling her strength become sapped up for a minute, "_She may be the only one there, but the other two might be around..._"

* * *

**_Writing Inspiration's slowly but surely coming back. I've been more focused on Schoolwork and Hetalia, and I'm currently on a 6 Week Break. During this break, I've been working on my writing as well. So, here's the next chapter._**

**_AAAAAAH. I'm so close to writing the chapter I've been wanting to write for a few years now! 3._**

Persona 3 (C) ATLUS

Daedalus Tavi, Dark Daedalus, & Daira Tavi (C) Me~


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